Agria 43. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2007)
Palmer Matthew: Alexandriai Szent Katalin szobrának új datálása
Comparisons between Blanche of the Tower and the Eger St Catherine, and the figures of Miklós Gaissel and Maxentius, open up the possibility that the Eger composition is even earlier than has been previously thought. Such an argument has the added attraction of bringing the date of the figure closer to the papal bull of 1372, which would have allowed the cathedral to raise funds for architectural purposes. 41 Indeed, at this point it may be worth reconsidering Kozák's suggestion that the figure occupied a chapel dedicated to St Catherine, founded after Imre Cudar's return from Paris in 1374, where he formed part of the delegation negotiating Catherine's engagement to Louis of Orleans. 42 That there is a direct link between a possible dedication of a chapel and his diplomatic event, as suggested by Kozák, is however unlikely due to the fact that Imre Cudar was still a dean in Székesfehérvár in 1374, being appointed Bishop of Eger only three years later. 43 It is his perceived greed among historians of the diocese of Eger that has thusfar prevented Imre Cudar from being perceived as a possible artistic patron. 44 Certainly patronage of the arts is something than can be found among other members of the Cudar family. His cousin László, Abbot of Pannonhalma (1365-72), can be found immortalised in a tomb made of red Gerecse marble (Pannonhalma, Benedictine Abbey). 45 Imre's brother János was responsible for commissioning the equestrian figure of St Ladislas that stood in front of the west end of Várad (Oradea, Romania) Cathedral completed in 1390. 46 Imre, like his brothers, held important positions at court and as Bishop of Eger would have cultural pretentions similar to Vilmos of Bergzabern, Bishop of Pécs. 47 To conclude, while St Catherine's and Maxentius's clothing is typical of that worn by Hungarian royalty in the second half of the 14th century, the inclusion of the triple-clasp we believe betrays an element of Parisian fashion. The design itself signifies that Catherine is a holy princess, on account of the triple clasp's association with the sideless gown, a garment that is frequently depicted in its entirety to make the same point. What we have therefore, according to our 41 DÉTSHY Mihály 1964. 1. 42 See footnote 8. 43 KOZÁK Károly 1989-90. 352-353. Without wishing to abandon Kozák's hypothesis altogether, one could suggest that Imre Cudar founded such a chapel, if one in fact existed at this time, in commemoration of the death of Catherine, who died in 1378. 44 SUGÁR István 1984. 124.; MAROSI Ernő 1987. 500. suggests Imre Cudar's episcopal seal (1379), which incorporates the figures of the Virgin Mary, Saint Stephen and St Ladislas set in three pinnacled niches, resembled that used in the large Aachen clasps, commissioned by Louis I. LOVEI Pál -VARGA Livia 1990-92. 132 tell us that Imre Cudar's tomb survives at Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia, Romania) Cathedral albeit in too worn a condition to make art historical evaluation possible. 45 TAKÁCS Imre 2006.109-110. 46 MAROSI Ernő 1987 (ed.). 474. 47 TAKÁCS Imre (ed.) 2006. 110. 774
