Gyula Batthyány (Ikervár, 10 May 1887 – Budapest, 20 January 1959) was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist whose works are in the collection of theHungarian National Gallery as well as other museums around the world.

His father is Count Lajos Batthyány, governor ofFiume, member of parliament, and his mother is CountIlona Andrássy. He is the great-grandson of CountLajos Batthyány, the first Hungarian Prime Minister.

In 1890, when he was barely three years old, he made his first drawing. He began his education at theHungarian Academy of Fine Arts studying underJános Vaszary, later going toMunich in 1907 to work withAngelo Jank. He studied at TheAcadémie Julian in Paris from 1910 to 1913 where he became friends withLéon Bakst. Only a year after Paris, his paintings would be exhibited at theErnst Museum inBudapest.^[1]

In 1914 he had an exhibition together with Beck Ö. Fülöp in theErnst Museum. His works were regularly displayed in the Art Gallery and the National Salon between 1921 and 1938. In 1922, he established an artist colony inBicske, where he lived at that time. From the 1920s, he started designing theater decorations under the influence ofSergei Diaghilev's set designer, Leonid Bakszt.^[2]

In addition to painting, he was a well-known theater set and costumedesigner, and also created numerous book illustrations. His series of Hungarian historical drawings were reproduced and published in an album. As a graphic artist, he also illustrated the works ofFerenc Herczeg andCécile Tormay. His painting can be related to lateArt Nouveau, his pictures are characterized by gracefully elongated figures and satirical representation. He often chose glittering, aristocratic social scenes as the subject of his paintings. He uniquely portrayed luxurious pleasure girls, elegant gentlemen, gangsters, the posing, theatrical, hollow characters of the aristocratic milieu full of sultry eroticism. In addition toDaumier, his elongated figures also remind us ofEl Greco's manneristic undulating depictions of people. His works are often dream-like, energetically swirling organic forms form an integral part of their design world. Its decorativeness shows affinities with the illustration ofsurrealism andArt Deco.^[3]

A known opponent ofnational socialists, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for political reasons in 1952.^[1] He spent five years in prison inMárianosztra, and his property was confiscated. After his release, he lived in retirement inPolgárdi in the apartment of his former officer until his death. His more significant works are kept by theHungarian National Gallery.^[4]

• 1916: silver medal, San Francisco
• 1930: silver medal, Barcelona
• 1934: gold medal, Paris
• 1937: bronze medal at the World Exhibition in Paris

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