Veszprémi Nóra - Jávor Anna - Advisory - Szücs György szerk.: A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria Évkönyve 2005-2007. 25/10 (MNG Budapest 2008)

NEW ACQUISITIONS, NEW RESULTS - Éva BICSKEI: On a Journal Illustration by Bertalan Székely

ÉVA BICSKEI On a Journal Illustration by Bertalan Székely BERTALAN SZÉKELY: MIKLÓS Izsó'

S MODEL FOR THE STATUE OF SÁNDOR PETŐFI, 1872 (Ills. 1-2) Pencil, ink and wash on paper, 308x223 mm Unsigned Inv. no.: F. 2005.9 A newly acquired artwork in the National Gallery bears elaborate drawings of statues in pencil and ink and wash on both sides. On one side, there is an almost faithful depiction of Miklós Izsó's ( 183 l-l 875) statue of the poet Sándor Petőfi ( 1823-1849) standing on the bank of the Danube, with drawings repeating details of the hands and the right leg; on the other side, there is a drawing of the sculptor's 1872 marble bust of the same poet. (Ills 1-2) Due to the obvious identity of the depicted artworks and to a note on the sheet by an unknown hand,

1 the drawings were attributed to the sculptor Izsó himself. In contrast with this view, in the following it is argued that their draughtsman was Bertalan Székely (1835-1910), an eminent history, portrait and genre painter. This re-identification sheds light on a marginalized field of research in 2. Bertalan Székely: The bust of Petőfi by Miklós Izsó, 1872 Reverse of 111. 1