Artist's Footsteps

The Artists

Denes de Holesch
1910-1983

Denes de Holesch

In The Artist's Footsteps Across Twenty Countries

Nearly eighteen years after his death the life and works of Hungarian born painter Denes de Holesch provide a colourful palette of rich and fascinating experiences across twenty countries.

Denes de Holesch painted in Australia from 1938, when he officially joined the Northern Australian Expedition. In October 1945 he left Melbourne for New York to exhibit with the likes of Renoir, Chagall, Picasso and work as an internationally recognised artist.

This is one of the great untold stories of a painter. The de Holesch story is like a novel with many twists and turns of a life which ranges from the painting of aborigines in the Northern Territory to portraits of royalty and high society such as Mrs John Fairfax, Mrs Warwick Fairfax, movie star Ann Rutherford, the children of Burt Lancaster and the Pope.

The poignancy of the story is enriched by his marrying Melbourne Concert Pianist Joyce Greer within ten days after meeting her at a concert in Sydney in 1944, and deciding to ask permission to paint her portrait.

Together they travelled the world, she the concert pianist playing recitals and he the painter responsible for many important portraits and also specialising in the paintings of horses with the New York Times selling over a million copies.

The Final Footsteps
At the beginning of 1983 Denes de Holesch travelled to Paris and visited many of the art dealers who had handled the selling of his art works for many years.After a short stay in Paris he travelled to Hungary and only four weeks after his arrival he died of cancer on the 11th of May 1983.

Denes de Holesch - Biographical Outline

Denes de Holesch - Horse Paintings

Denes de Holesch - Select Bibliography

Denes de Holesch - Collections

Denes de Holesch - Prizes

Joyce Greer de Holesch

Listen to Joyce Greer de Holesch composition for piano of 'Homage to Waltzing Matilda' arranged for orchestra by Istvan Bogar and played by The Budapest University Orchestra conducted by Bartal Lasslo. The Budapest University Orchestra was founded in 1896, the first University Orchestra in the world.

Listen to Joyce Greer de Holesch Fantasy variations on 'Waltzing Matilda'. Recorded November 1997 Budapest.

Left: Arthur Streeton, "Above us the great grave sky" 1890
Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.