Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 34. (2009)

TANULMÁNYOK - BAKÓ ZSUZSANNNA: A KULTUSZ HATALMA

ZSUZSANNA BAKÓ: THE POWER OF THE CULT. PORTRAYALS OF THE HUNYADI FAMILY IN THE I9TH CENTURY PAINTINGS OF THE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY SUMM AR Y The 19th century is also the century of veneration, when the interest in the past is stronger than ever. This includes famous historical figures, as well as events that connect to them, like the revival of the cult of Ferenc II Rákóczi, or that of Lajos Kossuth and the '48 War of Independence, at the end of the century. The veneration of Mátyás Hunyadi existed already during his lifetime, and continued to exist almost until today. The Hunyadi veneration of the 19th century is particularly interesting since the characters of János Hunyadi and László are very popular around the middle of the century, until the signing of the Compromise of 1876, during which period the heroic, sturdily anti-Habsburg historical painting plays the role of the opposition, and the allegorical meaning of the paintings refer unambiguously to the defeat of the '48 War of Independence. The figure of Mátyás Hunyadi, put into the service of state representation, implies the idea of the strong, central power, of the just ruler and that of the booming country, especially after the signing of the Compromise. Thus, the essay provides a cross section of the two important courses of the 19th century historical painting through the paintings of Bálint Kiss, Viktor Madarász, Bertalan Székely and Gyula Benczúr, between others.