Night (1965)

From the late fifties to the early sixties, Hortobágyi's painting was dominated by calligraphy, which captured only a few liberated gestures on paper. He came upon it quite instinctively; Far Eastern examples were as unfamiliar to him at the time as were the related aspirations of modern Western art. These were mainly walnut wood and ink drawings, and while the former were based primarily on spontaneous relationships between dark and light stains and the velvety brown tones of the stain, the latter were more symbolic with their nervous, gritty line drawings. In 1965, Hortobágyi 'captured' these brushstrokes in oil paintings. The emotions are often conveyed directly on canvas with elemental force, sweeping away all anxieties and agendas; the greasy, thick paintbrushes form a dishevelled, erosive surface, as can be seen in the painting Night. According to László Beke, Summer, Deduction, Zugliget and Night are Hortobágyi's most important and unique works.