Béla Bán

Béla Bán was a Hungarian Jewish painter who won the Munkácsy Prize twice and immigrated to Israel in 1963.

1909 to 1972Surrealist paintingThe European School groupTwo Munkácsy Prizes

Born: 4 May 1909, Budapest
Died: 6 February 1972, Jerusalem
Occupation: painter

Béla Bán was born in 1909 in Budapest

Béla Bán was born Béla Blau in Budapest to a Jewish family of clerks. His parents were Géza Blau and Róza Csillag. In 1935 he married Lívia, daughter of Árpád Adorján.

From 1925 to 1928 he studied at the School of Applied Arts, training as an advertising graphic artist. He then studied at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts from 1928 to 1930 under Gyula Rudnay.

He was a founding member of the New Society of Artists in 1934 and later of the European School. He taught at the art academy in Budapest and received the Munkácsy Prize in 1950 and 1953. His painting moved from an expressive realism to surrealism, with influences from socialist realism and cubism.

During the Hungarian uprising of 1956 he left for France, and then lived in Argentina for 5 years. He immigrated to Israel in 1963 and taught for a time in Tel Aviv. He received the Nordau Prize and died in Jerusalem in 1972.

In 1988 his family donated most of his estate to Hungary. His works are held in the Hungarian National Gallery and in museums in Pécs, Szombathely and Székesfehérvár.