Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 26. (Budapest, 2008)
Ildikó PANDUR: Variations on a Sculpture. Questions and Answers Concerning the 'Ironworker' Sculpture Formerly in the Jungfer Collection
4. The inside of the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York, present state not completed for the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence (which fell on 4 July 1876). At the exhibition staged in Philadelphia to mark this anniversary, only the right hand holding the torch could be seen by the public. The head, which was made for the Paris World Exposition of 1876, was put on display in the gardens of the Trocadéro Palace, and a few additional details were shown in the main exposition building on the Champs de Mars (ill. 5). (Gyula Jungfer achieved success at this event with, among other works, his wrought-iron gates for the Ferencváros Parish Church. 11 ) In connection with Budapest sculptures made from beaten copper, 12 the possible cooperation of Gyula Jungfer, whose large-size repoussé copper statue designed by Leó Fessier and depicting a medieval artist-smith was one of the most spectacular elements of the National Exhibition pavilion of 1885, has been suggested on a number of occasions. 13 This emblematic creation was placed on the gable of the Jungfer factory in Budapest's Berzsenyi utca, and also embellished the firm's writing-paper. The abilities of Gyula Jungfer, who was highly accomplished in many areas of metalwork, were demonstrated in the field of repoussé art not just by this large sculpture, but also by many smaller works (sculptures for buildings, parts of embellishments, and so on). Following the nationalization of the Jungfer factory in 1949, a repoussé copper figure" reached the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest from its premises. Because of its origins, it can, albeit conditionally, be brought into connection with the oeuvre of Gyula Jungfer 15 (ill. 6). That this sculpture, consisting of sheet copper between 0.6 and 0.8 cm in thickness and depicting an ironworker, came from the one-time atelier of Gyula Jungfer does not automatically prove his authorship of it, since in the material delivered to the Museum at that time there 5. TJ)e head of the Statue of Liberty in the garden of the Palais Trocadéro, Paris, 1878
