Sámuel Kiss (1781–1819)

First professor at the School of Drawing

Kiss’ talent for drawing was already apparent during his years at the College, and his professor, artist Pál Sárváry took notice. He recommended that their alma mater send Kiss to artificer officer Mihály Péchy then stationed in Nagyszeben to learn from him the art of architectural drawing. Kiss therefore assisted Péchy in copying his designs made for the Great Church and the New College in return for his student’s stipend, and in his free time he attended the School of Drawing. Besides that he improved his painting skills, too, by copying famous works. It was at this time that he painted a copy of the work on the Brassau mayor kept in the Bruckenthal collection. Art historians agree that this portrait of Kiss’ is the first ever Hungarian watercolour. A few months after creating the work, on a new scholarship he went to the Vienna Academy, where he learnt to become a teacher. Returning home he was appointed first teacher of the School of Drawing.
He, however, was aggravated by students’ indifference to drawing. Besides teaching he tried his hand at portraits to support his family, but to little result. His last will also attests to his meagre means. His reserved character and his early death stopped him from becoming a great teacher and cut short his accomplishment as an artist, but his few remaining works are among the most treasured pieces of the Déri Museum and the Reformed College.