Magyar Műemlékvédelem (Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség Kiadványai 14. Budapest, 2007)

GRANASZTÓINÉ GYŐRFFY KATALIN: A nemescsói evangélikus templom szószékoltára

The wing ornament placed on the two sides of the retabulum follows the adornment of the repainted wings of the floating angel and the decoration imitating acanthus. A Latin prayer in verse and an inscription describing the fact and addresses of the donation in 1713 can be read in the predella. The altar-picture depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The evangelist John and Maria stand underthe crucified Christ. A skull and bones at the foot of the crucifix and a schematic picture of Jerusalem are represented on the altar. The face of the angels painted on the wings in the same posture and of the evangelist John bears a likeness, the style of their representation expresses a uniform attitude. The altar-picture has one layer which coincides with the second layer of the complex altar. The five side boards of the same size of the pulpit basket are assembled as the five sides of the octagon. The four evangelists and the figure of Christ are painted on the niche-like strips of the side boards. Jesus in scarlet robe stands in the central strip of the pulpit, above the altar-picture. The evangelists Mark with Matthew and Lucas with John are represented on the right and left of Jesus. A one-line scriptural text above the niches becomes intelligible by collating the five sides. 1791, the year of restoration is recorded on the backside of the sounding-board of the pulpit. Three different dates occur on the elements of the pulpit: 1713 on the altar, 1722 on the pulpit and 1791 on the sounding-board. In contradiction to the single-layer painting on the altarpicture and side-boards of the pulpit basket the remains of former ornamental painting appear on the elements of the retabulum of the altar. It documents the secondary use of these boards. The combination and painting of the altar-picture and retablum was accomplished in 1713. The origin of the pulpit is unknown but it seems nearly contemporaneous with the altar concerning its style. The pulpit and the sounding-board originate from different time. The combination of them was completed in 1791. The altar dating back to 1713 and the bestowers' name indicate undoubtedly that the altar could have stood in the earlier church of Nemescsó. The representation of the crucifixion of Christ can be considered as an obligation for the Lutherans of the Augustan Confession. The Latin prayer painted on the predella of the pulpit-altar seems unique, peculiar and extraordinary. The inscriptions of the altars and different furnishings guote scriptural text in the evangelic churches of Hungary.The six texts from the New Testament define the mission and task of Christ's disciples. The painter of the altar-picture could have been a country man without high qualification and he painted not only altar-pictures but also other furnishings in the churches and oratory of the evangelic congregation. Among the Hungarian relics painted representations substituting the graven images of Jesus and the evangelists on the pulpit basket appear in the Roman Catholic Church of Leibic (L'ubica) in

'Szepesség'(Zipserland) and on the wood epitaph painted in 1669 of the Roman Catholic Church in Nagyjeszen (Home Jeseno) and on the Maria-altar from 1725 of the former Museum of Kassa. Direct connections between the masters can not been supposed, however, it is a fact that the evangelic congregations in Western Transdanubia maintained good relations with Upper Hungary. The altar picture and pulpit could have been painted in Nemescsó, however, they could have arrived there accomplished somewhere else.