Gergely Szántó (Hungarian: Szántó Gergely). 1920
･1914 — VILÁGHÁBORÚ ･ 1918 ∙ (obv) / ･BĒKE･ ——— ･1920･ (rev) (1914 World War 1918 / Peace 1920). Cast bronze, 64.5 mm, 99.0 g. Vorzüglich (extremely fine), a few minor rim nicks. Very rare.
Obverse: War-fury (
Kriegsfurie), personified as a naked, emaciated woman with pendulous breasts and bat-wings, striding from left to right, hair streaming, grasping left hand thrust forward, right hand brandishing short-bladed fiery sword; title legend around lower edge; artist's signature ･SZÁNTÓ･G･ lower right; raised rim.
Reverse: On a ground-line, blindfolded young woman draped in shroud-like garment hesitantly gropes her way from right to left, feeling her way with palm frond in her right hand; title legend left center and right center, respectively; artist's monogram, encircled interlaced S G, in exergue.
Cf: Huszár, Lajos, and Béla Procopius. 1932. Medaillen- und Plakettenkunst in Ungarn, p. 385: 4987; plate XLVIII. Ten examples listed as having been cast.War-furies carrying flaming swords and/or burning torches are often represented in Middle-European art, including medals, around the time of the First World War (e.g. Götze - "War-Fury over Verdun). The palm frond on the reverse symbolizes resurrection and peace.
In the dictated Peace of Trianon (1920) Hungary lost nearly three-fourths of its pre-war territory, two-thirds of its population, and five of its ten largest cities. Little wonder that Peace appears to have an uncertain future after the terrible casualties of a devastating war fueled initially by grasping nationalism and optimistic war-fever.
