Thomas Muhl (1934-2020): Still life with flower at the window

Thomas P. Muhl was a Hungarian-American painter, writer, and designer, born in Budapest in 1934. As a child, he survived the Holocaust while confined to the Budapest Ghetto with his mother. His father, a classically trained musician serving in the Hungarian army, managed to rescue them just days before mass deportations began. In the early 1950s, Muhl served in the Hungarian Army's Art Studio, where he painted large-scale propaganda portraits of political figures like Lenin and Stalin. He also created copies of Old Masters' paintings for the private collections of Communist officials. Following the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Muhl and his wife Andrea fled Hungary, enduring a perilous journey across the Austrian border. After spending time in England, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Art and worked for Halas & Batchelor Ltd., Europe's largest cartoon film studio, they immigrated to the United States. In the U.S., Muhl built a successful career as a Creative Director for major advertising agencies, including Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson, and Bates Saatchi & Saatchi. He also wrote film scripts for documentaries and television, as well as print advertising. Muhl's memoir, Retouching Stalin’s Moustache, recounts his experiences from the Holocaust through his emigration and life in America. The book has been used as a textbook at Florida International University. Settling in Miami, Florida, in 1974, Muhl's artistic style evolved, inspired by the region's lush foliage and changing skies. His large canvases depicted the beauty of the tropical environment, aiming to transform everyday scenes into something transcendent. Thomas P. Muhl passed away in 2020, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and artistic expression.