Mikó Árpád szerk.: Reneissance year 2008 (A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria kiadványai 2008/1)
ÁRPÁD MIKÓ: The Legacy of King Matthias. Late Renaissance Art in Hungary (16th-17th Century)
Árpád Mi kó The Legacy of King Matthias Late Renaissance Art in Hungary ( 16 th17 th Century) Chronologically, the exhibition in the Hungarian National Gallery approximately takes up the story where the Budapest History Museum exhibition leaves off, i.e. the year of Matthias' death. It looks at how Renaissance art in Hungary - which today is inextricably linked to the name of the great king - subsequently developed. The period thus starts with the Jagiello Era (1490—1526) and ends at different times depending on which part of the by-then split kingdom we look at: the last third of the 17th century m the western half, and the end of that century in Transylvania. The exhibition sets out to present, at least m cross section, the history of Renaissance art in Hungary and to interpret the era within the culture ot the early modern age as a whole. Since this whole period in Hungary has hitherto been severely neglected by art historians, the exhibition attempts to fill a gap in the historical account and in public awareness, a gap which has become increasingly evident through the upsurge of (highly productive) historical and literary research m recent decades. The Jagiello Era: Variations on Diverse Themes The exhibition starts with the Jagiello Era: in these few decades, different artistic styles lived side by side. The direct influence of the Italian Renaissance spread alongside Central European versions of Late Gothic, which continued in parallel with — and indeed inseparable from — elements of the Northern Renaissance. Hungarian art in the pre-Mohács period is well documented, although some of the works on display (together with such well-known items as the Báthory Madonna) have only come to light recently, or have never been seen in this context. Two Buda archaeological finds come right at the beginning: architectural terracotta and fragments of sculpture. The first is from under the ruins of a single commoner's house next to Buda Castle, found in the company of some fine all'antica (classical style) stone carvings, bronze and Majolica fragments and fresco remains. Few complete finds could better characterise a building in Jagiello-era Buda. The other is a set of — sadly very small — fragments of very finely produced Late Gothic statuary, found in the Víziváros district during excavation of the former Carmelite Church. The two styles, more accurately the two artistic orientations, were present side by side in Jagiello Era Buda. Looking at the country as a whole, the most important — and most visually arresting — form of church art north of the Alps was the winged altar, decorated with panel paintings and statues. Many ot these have survived, particularly in areas of the medieval Kingdom ot Hungary which escaped the Ottoman attacks - the north of the country, Transylvania (now Slovakia and Romania), and a tew scattered places near the western border. Most of them still stand m churches, but some (chiefly fragments) have found their way into museums. The central panel The Madonna of András Báthory, I 526 Budapest, Magyar Nemzeti Galéria
