János Gábriel Stein (1874-1949) - Gardens At Dusk

Born in Hungary in 1874, Janos Gabor Stein began his studies at the Berlin Academy of Painting. He continued his apprenticeship in Paris. He decides to take a break and travels throughout Europe, where he adopts Symbolist tendencies. On his return, Janos Stein studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, where he became a pupil of Karoly Lotz (a painter renowned for his monumental frescoes). At the beginning of the 20th century, the artist enjoyed success, with regular exhibitions at the Kunsthalle, several prizes won, and increasing monumental commissions (murals for Mór Church and Eger Cathedral). The forgotten artist's entire artistic heritage was rediscovered in 2017 in Budapest.
Stein, a follower of the conservative, academic pictorial tradition, is distinguished by his precise compositions and meticulous touch. His art strongly reflects the influence of his master Karoly Lotz.
Our painting, created in 1898 was presented the same year at the Budapest Winter Exhibition. It is said to represent part of the Versailles estate. At the heart of this enigmatic landscape and abundant nature is a statue of Apollo, who seems to watch over this forgotten sanctuary. At the time, it reflected admiration for the classical heritage. At the end of the 19th century, there was a renewed interest in this movement and its aesthetic values.
The two-part staircase occupies a central place in the work. The twilight reflected in the stagnant water reinforces an impression of serenity, and also revives the Romantic landscape tradition of the first half of the 19th century. In this work, we feel that nature predominates and takes over from the remains of a civilisation in decline. 
By capturing a feeling of abandonment and nostalgia, this painting reveals all the poetry of Stein's work, and could evoke a quotation from Goethe, who said that nature is a call to the unlimited and that the spirit is capable of perceiving the inexpressible in it.