Magyar News, 2000. szeptember-2001. augusztus (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2001-01-01 / 5. szám
Our readers, who have been with us for some time, saw two wonderful life-size busts in the March issue of 1995. They were of Sándor Petőfi and Lajos Kossuth created by Gabriella Koszorús- Varsa. This time she presents us with a life-size painting of St. Stephen. NOTES OF THE ARTIST “SAINT STEPHEN, first king of Hungary (969 -1038), founded the Hungarian Kingdom and was later proclaimed a Saint (1083). He was one of the greatest monarchs and statesmen of his age. Saint Stephen adapted Western culture to the peculiar needs of Hungarians and, as the "Apostolic King of Hungary organized the Christian Hungarian State and Church. Saint Stephen was crowned with the "Holy Crown of Hungary" which he received from the Pope Sylvester II. For an artist to paint this multifaceted and outstanding personality is a demanding task. The age of Saint Stephen was characterized by extraordinarily difficult political challenges. Although he had to be a strong-minded, decisive, and firm ruler to fulfill his commitments, Saint Stephen was not cruel, as some publications erroneously mention. Not only did he establish the Christian faith in Hungary , he was a devout Christian. To represent such an important figure from an artistic point of view, the ultimate task is to express the inner spirituality that best characterizes the subject. My chief aim in painting Saint Stephen's facial expression was to convey his dignity , strength bereft of brutality , and an awareness of his calling as the state forming king. I also attempted to convey through the eyes Saint Stephen's noble-mindedness, as opposed to softness, devotion to his faith, and strongly-held convictions. If the viewer is left with the same impression, then I have achieved by purpose. In order to ensure historical authenticity , I researched and consulted books published by the Hungarian National Museum regarding the royal insignias -the Holy Crown, the orb, and the coronation cloak. Interestingly, they were somewhat different in the time of Saint Stephen than they are depicted today.” Capturing the charm or dynamism of a personality is the most demanding task of portrait painting. If the artist is incapable To the right is the 110"x73” oil painting. The artist is standing next to it. Above the face is shown more detailed. Page 4
