1925-1949

Eduard Flor was born on November 22nd, 1925 in Budapest. His talents for drawing and painting were recognised already during primary and high school. At the age of 14, he is among the winners of Hungarian national painting contests for mainly professionals. These early works should still be preserved at these schools but so far no traces have been found. During the war, Eduard Flor survives by means of drawings and portraits. Being attracted by the Dutch school, he travels to Holland near the end of the war. After struggle, and a long recovery in a NATO hospital because of starvation, he arrives in Holland.

1949-1953

Flór studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam under Prof. Axel Emil de (Jonkheer) Savornin-Lohman, Prof. Heinrich Campendonk and Prof. Gé Röhling. In 1950 Flór wins the two main prizes of the “Opening Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal” contest at the Academy. During this period, he sets up experimental paint courses to employees of Werkspoor Amsterdam and Pieterschoen paint industry, which he continues several years after his study until the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

1956-1958

Within the Dutch governmental federation for help to refugees, Eduard Flor sets up and is responsible for the integration of Hungarian refugees. During this period Flor stops painting. In 2007 he receives the Golden Cross distinction of the Hungarian government for this initiative and help.

1958-1967

Oil paintings on canvas, drawings and linos. He operates at the more intellectual fringe of post-CoBrA expressionism. He makes portraits, scenes in bars and on the street. Other themes attracting the artist’s attention are objects that are recurrent in daily life, symbolising time, transitoriness and motion. Examples are a radio, a photo-camera, or an electric lamp (in the honor of Edison, Swan and Volta), bicycle wheels, a cann or a kettle on a stove.

1966-1967

One year scholarship of the French government to work and stay at The Parisien Atelier of the Cité International des Arts in Paris, France.

1967-1975

Graphic Art: Lino prints, Color etchings, Drawings. Themes are inspired by fragments of journey and travel-experiences, often represented in an ideogram that memorizes the landscape or journey within a larger context of time. In 1968-1969 he receives another scholarship to work at the Parisien Atelier of the Cité International des Arts in Paris. The rest of this period between 1966 and 1972 he works mainly in the Vaucluse (France).

1974-1976

Scholarship from the Dutch government (study in Spain)

1975-1985

Art lectured at the Royal Academy in Bois-le-Duc (‘s-Hertogenbosch), the “Vrije Academie” in The Hague and the “Christelijke Academie” in Kampen. His work is focused on color etchings. Later he uses watercolours. The landscape themes condense into abstract and simple forms. In “Graphic Art Now” (Elsevier 1984) the writer and historian Ad van der Blom describes him as “one of our most profound artists, who condenses reality to symbols and, like Anton Heyboer, attributes to the etching almost mystical qualities”.

1979-1986

Flór establishes the “Open Academie” which becomes in 1980 “De Niewe Academie”. This academy embodies a new conception of art education in society and aims at improving the quality as well as the understanding of modern art among amateur artists. Classes are first organized in 8 cities in the Netherlands and is at a later stage concentrated in the city of Utrecht. Prominent Dutch professional artists teach amateurs. Many of these amateurs become later fully recognized artists in Dutch society. Classes are also given in his country houses in France in the Thierache and the Vaucluse. In 1986 he leaves the school and moves to his house near the village Roussillon in France where he finds solitude and inspiration.

1985-2003

In this period he makes his last etchings (the clover series), starts with watercolours to gradually return to oil paintings. He retreats in his country house near the village Roussillon (Vaucluse , France) to dedicate himself entirely to his work. Subjects are landscapes and stills, abstracts and some portraits. The continuing theme underlying his work is the transitoriness of the observation in time, and the experience of this variation. In 1993 his health is critical but he recovers well after a serious hart operation in Marseille. He photographs the scene, and also returns to the hospital in Marseille to paint a hart operation. Later in this period, he makes also religious works. Some of these works (a chalice and a bread) have been made for the monastery “Abbaye de Sénanque” in Gordes (France), where he returned several times after having left the Vaucluse. In 2004 he moves for definite with his wife Paula from the Vaucluse to the village Dohis, in the North of France (Picardie, Aisne). Main reasons are the demand of family as well as the possible future care that is proposed.

2004-2015

After a one year stay in Amsterdam, Eduard and Paula move to the village Dohis. In 2007 they also move their affairs from Amsterdam, which until then still served as their Dutch home residence. In Dohis, Eduard Flor paints works he has started in the Vaucluse. Themes are landscapes, stills, portraits and abstracts.

2007

Flór is awarded with the Golden Cross by the Hungarian government for the integration into the Dutch society and organisation of professional education for refugees of the Hungarian 1956 revolution. At the same time he is also awarded for his work.

2015

Eduard Flór passes on August 12th 2015 surrounded by his family in Dohis, France.

Awards and prizes

1950
Wins the two main prizes of the “Opening Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal” contest at the National Academy of Art

1950-53
Scholarship to free study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from the Dutch government

1963
Scholarship to Free Study in France from the Dutch government

1963
Free Study trip to France and Spain from the OKW

1964
Study trip to Spain

1966
Study trip to France

1966
Scholarship to Free Study in France from the French government Obtains the Atelier Parisien of the cité Internationale des Arts for a total period of two years.

1970
Study trip to the United-States

1974-75
Scholarship to Free Study from the Dutch government (CRM)

1975-76
Scholarship to Free Study from the Dutch government (CRM)