Soma Orlai Petrich
Soma Orlai Petrich, aka Soma Orlay-Petrich (October 22, 1822, Mezőberény - June 5, 1880, Budapest) was a Hungarian painter famous for his historical paintings and portraits. • Illustration — Dorottya Kanizsai (1490-?) Gathering the Dead after the Battle at Mohács (1860s) Petrich was born to a staunchly evangelical Serbian father and Hungarian mother Karolina Salkovics (whose portrait is one of his best known works, see below) in the highland border town of Mezőberény. He studied in Drávaszarvas, Croatia and Sopron before taking a law degree in Pápa Reformed College. There, he studied with his second cousin, national hero and poet Sándor Petőfi, and the two travelled together widely.
Also recorded as Soma Samuel Orlay Petrich · Soma Samuel Orlai · Soma Orlai-Petrics · Soma Samuel Orlai Petrich
Soma Orlai Petrich
Dr Varga József · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Soma Orlai Petrich
- Born
- 22 October 1822
- Birthplace
- Mezobereny, Hungary
- Died
- 5 June 1880
- Place of death
- Budapest
- Nationality
- Hungary
- Occupation
- painter
- Fields
- portrait
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Soma Orlai Petrich, aka Soma Orlay-Petrich (October 22, 1822, Mezőberény - June 5, 1880, Budapest) was a Hungarian painter famous for his historical paintings and portraits. • Illustration — Dorottya Kanizsai (1490-?) Gathering the Dead after the Battle at Mohács (1860s) Petrich was born to a staunchly evangelical Serbian father and Hungarian mother Karolina Salkovics (whose portrait is one of his best known works, see below) in the highland border town of Mezőberény. He studied in Drávaszarvas, Croatia and Sopron before taking a law degree in Pápa Reformed College. There, he studied with his second cousin, national hero and poet Sándor Petőfi, and the two travelled together widely.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Soma Orlai Petrich. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q714876 · wikipedia · Soma Orlai Petrich
In this article
Biography
Biography
After painting his cousin's parents, Petrich's obvious talent caused him to abandon his original dream of becoming a writer, and he began studying at Jakab Marastoni art school in 1846. He then attended Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller's school in Vienna beginning in 1847, studied with Wilhelm von Kaulbach in Munich in 1850, and also took instruction in Rome and Paris. He often painted historical themes and in his lithographs he portrayed experiences during the war of independence. Arguably his most famous painting, "The Discovery of [[Louis II of Hungary|Louis II [of Hungary]]]'s Body" (1851) inspired others to paint on the same subject, including Bertalan Székely a decade later. He was also a popular portraitist, and made a good living in Debrecen and Vienna before settling in Pest following the founding of its permanent collection. Though he suffered from seizures his whole life, he produced at least one major work from 1851 until Coriolanus in 1869.
Orlay Petrich Soma arcképe - Portrait of Soma Orlay Petrich hungarian painter
Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Soma Orlai Petrich • Born — 22 October 1822 • Birthplace — Mezobereny, Hungary • Died — 5 June 1880 • Place of death — Budapest • Resting Place — Kerepes Cemetery, Budapest • Style — Historical Scenes, Portraits Orlai Petrich Soma
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1820
Soma Orlai Petrich was born on 22 October 1822.
1880
Soma Orlai Petrich died on 5 June 1880.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Mezőberény.
Birth place
Budapest.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q714876: Soma Orlai Petrich
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Soma Orlai Petrich”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Soma Samuel Orlay Petrich, Soma Samuel Orlai, Soma Orlai-Petrics, Soma Samuel Orlai Petrich and Soma Orlai Petrics. Other recorded relations include Sándor Petőfi. Recorded with the occupation painter. Recorded as a citizen of Hungary. Classed in the genre portrait.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
18,792 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Sollecito ArisiArtist
- Solomon Leonard VerveerArtist
- Solomon Omolayo OmogboyeArtist
- Sölvi HelgasonArtist
- SomukArtist
- Song DiArtist
- Song LianArtist
- Sonia BalassanianArtist
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Soma Orlai Petrich?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.