Fan

The name of the painter and applied artist Gizella Mirkovszkyné Greguss (1862–1955) is primarily remembered for her painted silk and velvet pyrography works. She was one of the first in Hungary to approach applied arts in a professional manner. She discovered a process for making velvet pyrography, which she patented under the name “nacré velvet” throughout the world in 1903. She was honored with a silver medal at the 1902 Turin exhibition and a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair for her velvet works.

She taught at the College of Fine Arts and developed the work plan for women at the School of Industry, where she taught the making of velvet pyrography, textile works, and beading as well as drawing and designing in connection with these techniques.

A possible source for the Art Nouveau vine patterns ending in heart-shaped leaves painted on this fan may have been an essay published in Magyar Iparművészet (Hungarian Applied Arts) by József Huszka. This same pattern decorated a parasol appearing in the 1901 Szeged exhibition.