Eric Vogel - Theatre, Revue, Erotica Exhibition

Eric Vogel
(1907-1996)
set and costume designer
theatre, revue, erotica

All of Eric Vogel's paintings, sketches, set and costume designs and posters spring from the pleasure in life. The flow of rippling textiles, the flitter of ostrich plumes, the scarlet colour of upholsteries, erotic tulle and silk costumes, witty architectural ideas. Among Eric Vogel's set and costume designs (e.g. the stage design of the Countess Marica, The Czardas Queen, Moulin Rouge) there are original Vogel costumes, and his erotic horoscope series - not presented so far - exhibited.
He graduated at the department of interior design of the College of Applied Arts in Vienna. At first he worked at Sándor Ferenczi's design studio - here he was touched by the atmosphere of theatre and movie. From 1925 he makes drawings for papers, among them, he is the illustrator of Színházi Élet (Theatre Life).
In 1927 he returned to Hungary. He first achieved success at Fovárosi Operettszínház (Metropolitan Operetta-Theatre). In Magyar Színház (Hungarian Theatre), Király Színház (King Theatre) and Városi Színház (City Theatre) first he designed settings then costumes as well. He got into contact with the greatest ones of our theatre history: Sári Fedák, Hanna Honthy and Rózsi Bársony; he dressed Ida Turay and Katalin Karády. He was on friendly terms with Arthur Somlay, Gyula Kabos, Kamill Feleky, Pál Jávor and the Latabárs.

He was a foundation member of József Attila Színház (József Attila Theatre) and Vidám Színpad (Merry Stage); he was the permanent designer of Kis Színpad (Small Stage) and Kamara Varieté (Studio Variety Theatre).
At the culmination of his designer career, he gets into Moulin Rouge in Budapest. The nightclub is the real field of success for his colour chalk drawings and his admiration of female beauty.
At the age of ninety, when he made the design of the Czardas Queen by Imre Kálmán for the fifth time at Szolnoki Színház (Szolnok Theatre), in the morning after the dress rehearsal he did not wake up. In the city's confectionery girls from a class of girls' school were waiting for Eric who promised to tell them stories…