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Wife of Palatine Joseph, Mária Dorothea Württenberg, the person this project takes its name after, was an important part of Hungarian history. The series was created to decorate the interior of the grandiose Hotel Dorothea Budapest, the complete series includes of 499 pieces. This work forms a transition between commercial and artistic genre, since it was a commission, but I was still given a free hand in terms of execution.
My primary aim when taking the photographs was to revive the fashion and milieu of the 19th century so that it corresponds with the viewer of the 21st century. It should be classic and modern, antique and contemporary at the same time. At first sight they are painting-like photographs that recall the works of Flemish painters and the atmosphere of the end of 19th century family photographs. However, examining the pictures more closely, witty details appear, such additional props that are neither faithful to the historical period nor appropriate. With such impertinence I tried to compensate the often rigorous and serious ambience of the antique world.
The Contemporary photos were also hanged on the walls in the form of pairs, with a portrait on one side, completed by a non-figurative pair. One of the starting points in the concept of the Dorothea series was the idea of duality, which refers to the opposites of Austrian and Hungarian, living and inanimate, east and west, war and peace, man and woman, past and present. I paired the portraits and experimental fashion photos with still life and abstract compositions composed of antique objects that remind us of the happy monarchical times and can also be linked to József Nádor's urban development efforts.
The duality defining the entire project was also important when choosing the pairs, as the dialogue between the two photographs both encourages and entertains at the same time. My goal was to create a series that is not just a space decoration, but tells visitors about the history of Budapest and our culture. The sight is both past and present, antique and contemporary.
Zoltán Tombor
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