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The landscapes of Jenő Maticska, who died aged twenty-one, were inspired by Nagybánya and its surroundings. His contemporaries and artist friends often accentuated the intimate bond between him and his natal town; the environment in which he grew up and his personality and view of life was formed.
In the case of the Virághegy (Landscape with a path), his choice was the most simple possible. The image of a slightly ascending hillside can be seen on the canvas. Some trees with thick leafs are standing on the left side. A meandering path leads the eye in the depths of the pictorial space. It begins in the foreground of the picture, is built up by the different nuances of ochre yellow and it disappears sometimes. The deep greens of the flora counterpoint the ochre yellow of the meandering path and the earth. The vibrating blue sky closes up the view in the background.
The picture becomes very dynamic because of the restless brushstrokes of the artist. Every compositional element, every spot of colour is in motion. This dynamism is increased by the contraposition of the shadows with the radiating and intense spots of colour that reflect the sunshine. In spite of the contrast of light and shadow, the artist manages to render a perfectly balanced state. The use of colour and light, the radiating energy, the excess of light recalls some of the earlier works of Béla Iványi Grünwald.
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