Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2004. Vol. 4. Eger Journal of English Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 30)
MATTHEW PALMER The English Cathedral: Prom Description to Analysis
82 Matthew Palmer will it provide an opportunity to examine how artistic ideas spread, but also allow students to study artefacts and buildings first hand. The Kingdom of Hungary, like England was a recipient of French Gothic ideas, and like England had a rich cultural heritage throughout the medieval period. 3 2 Interestingly, the details of the early Gothic building projects at Esztergom, Pilisszentkereszt and Kalocsa amongst other places, suggest that they had design sources very close to those of Canterbury Cathedral, namely from that part of northern Prance lying in the area between Arras, Valenciennes, Reims and Noyon. Whilst one usually has to rely on the analysis of details in the Hungarian examples, there are still enough fragments available for Hungarian students to devote time to considering the medieval fabric first hand. They might then offer suggestions as to why a carved details at Esztergom Cathedral resemble those at Canterbury Cathedral. It is a phenomenon which provides rich pickings for those wishing to take their art historical interests further into the realms of research. 3 3 Case Studies Thus, by placing Hungary and England in the same contextual environment, students can engage first-hand in debates currently going on within art historical circles. Possible study areas crop up throughout the Gothic period from the reception of the Gothic style into Hungary up until King Sigismund's famous visit to England in 1416. 3 4 One of the issues which has been occupying the minds of art historians for many decades is trying to discover what Villard de Honnecourt did and where he went during his visit to Hungary. So far we know that during his visit, which probably happened between 1235 and 1246, he drew some tile patterns he probably saw at the Cistercian abbey at Pilisszentkereszt. 3 5 3 2 Marosi, Ernő, Die Anfánge der Gotik in Ungarn (Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó, 1984), p. 169. and Marosi, Ernő, Mitteleuropáische Herrschaftháuser des 13. Jahrhunderts und die Kunst, Künstlerischer Austausch Aktén des XXVIII. Internationalen Kongresses für Kunstgeschichte (Berlin, 1992), p. 16. 3 3 Takács I., "A gótika műhelyei a Dunántúlon a 13-14. században", Pannónia Regia: Művészet a Dunántúlon 1000-1541 (Budapest, Magyar Nemzeti Galéria, 1994), pp. 2333. The book itself provides a useful starting point and a good bibliography. 3 4 A popular topic amongst historians, historians and art historians alike are turning their attentions to whether what Sigismund saw in England (Leeds Castle, Westminster Hall) influenced royal projects in Hungary (Tata, Visegrád). See Bárány A.'s abstract for the "Albion" Conference on British History and Political Science, Debrecen, 2000. 3 5 Gerevich, op. cit. pp. 82-85.
