Vilmos Zsolnay
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Vilmos Zsolnay (1828 - 1900) was a Hungarian ceramist and entrepreneur. As the director of the Zsolnay porcelain manufacture he introduced new materials and inventions into the manufacture of pottery and ceramics and led the company to world-wide recognition.
Zsolnay was born on April 19, 1828 in Pécs and studies at Vienna's Polytechnical High School. He returned and joined the company in 1863 to eventually take over its management. Under his directorship the small family-owned company grew into a world-renowned enterprise. He was able to attract talented artists to wok for him. The introduction of new techniques and materials was important in this development. With Vince Wartha Zsolnay discovered the eosin process that gives articles an iridescent glaze in multiple colors. Pyrogranite is a ceramic building material that he introduced and that became popular with the architects of the Hungarian art nouveau movement. He displayed his products at several World expositions, and was honored with the French Légion d'honneur and the Order of Franz Joseph in recognition of his artistic work.
After he died on March 23, 1900, his son Miklos Zsolnay took over the management of the manufacture.
