Signed lower right.
Provenance:
Midtown Gallery. Dr. James and Honor Loftstrom, Grosse Pointe, MI. By family descent.
Literature:
Zoltan Sepeshy, Forty Years of His Works. Illustrated p.80
Exhibition History:
Detroit Institute of Arts, 1963
J.B. Speed Museum, Louisville, KY, 1966
Zoltan Sepeshy, Forty Years of His Work, Syracuse University, Lowe Art Center, Syracuse, NY, 1966
Zoltan Sepeshy Retrospective, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 1966
Zoltan Sepeshy (1898–1974), a Hungarian-born painter, educator, and longtime director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, emigrated to the United States in the aftermath of World War I. Though he became a naturalized American citizen and built a distinguished career in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan—serving as Cranbrook's president from 1946 until his retirement in 1965—Sepeshy maintained deep ties to his homeland, making regular visits to Hungary until the Second World War and the Soviet Red Army's capture of Budapest in 1945.
Hungarian émigré communities in the West were outraged when, on Palm Sunday, 1951, Hungary's State Protection Authority (ÁVH) raided the Cave Church of St. Anthony, chapel and hermitage complex carved into the hills of Budapest's Buda side. Established in 1926 by the Pauline Order of monks—a Catholic order with roots tracing back to the 13th century—the site had become a beacon of spiritual resilience during World War II, sheltering refugees and wounded soldiers. The raid, part of a broader communist purge against religious institutions, resulted in the arrest of 13 monks, including the monastery's superior, Father Ferenc Vezér. What followed was a show trial where Vezér was sentenced to death (later commuted to life) and the others received lengthy prison sentences. The church was sealed, altars desecrated, and the monks scattered. News of the closure, arrests, and executions spread rapidly via émigré networks and Western media, igniting widespread outrage among Hungarian-Americans and Catholics. For Sepeshy, whose own artistic vision often wove themes of human endurance, cultural heritage, and spiritual defiance this tragedy struck a profound chord. It is widely believed to have directly inspired his monumental painting Cave of Miracles which evokes the shadowed sanctity of subterranean worship amid darkness. The painting's creation, reflects Sepeshy's urgent desire to bear witness through art, transforming personal grief into a public lament for a desecrated sacred space. Sepeshy actively sought broad exhibition for Cave of Miracles, channeling his outrage into advocacy for Hungarian cultural preservation. The work appeared in prominent venues, including a 1950's showing at New York City's Midtown Galleries, where it was handled by dealer Edith Bry. It gained further visibility in the 1966 retrospective Zoltan Sepeshy: Forty Years of His Work at Syracuse University Art Galleries, lent by private collectors Dr. and Mrs. James E. Lofstrom of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Though no surviving exhibition catalogs provide an explicit artist statement linking the piece to the Cave Church, the painting's title and scale suggest a deliberate invocation of miraculous faith enduring tyranny.
Dimensions:
H 31" W 44" Frame Size: H 38" W 51"
Condition
Pristine | Please note all lots show signs of wear commensurate with age and use, and the lack of a statement regarding condition does not imply the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from defects or the effects of aging. Unless otherwise stated, all information provided is the opinion of DuMouchelles' specialists. Should you have any specific questions regarding the condition of this lot, please use the “Request Condition Report” or “Ask a Question” buttons or email conditions@dumoart.com.
