Gustav Morelli

Who was Gustav Morelli?

Gustav Morelli was a Hungarian engraver and illustrator who specialized in the woodcut technique. He was born in Pest, Hungary, and died in Budapest.

After completing his schooling in Debrecen, he began studying woodcut art. He was associated with the Károly Rusz Institute until 1868. During this time many Hungarian painters, including Mihály Munkácsy worked as wood engravers. Morelli worked in the trade independently for Balázs Orbán and work for the Sunday News. In 1869, he traveled to Paris on a scholarship to study woodcutting, remaining there throughout the Franco-Prussian War. He later went to Leipzig, returning to his hometown in the spring of 1872, and settling there permanently. He worked with artists such as Gustav Friedrich Keleti, Géza Mészöly, and János Greguss at the Sunday News. At the same time, about 50 of his images was commissioned for the first illustrated edition of Petofi. Morelli's success led the government to establish in 1873 the national art teacher woodcutter class. In 1876, Petofi's second edition of decorative woodcut images was produced.

Morelli exhibited at the 1885 and 1891 National Exhibition.