Tátrai Vilmos szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 90-91.(Budapest, 1999)

VARGA, LÍVIA: The Reconsideration of the Portrait Reliefs of King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490), and Queen Beatrix of Aragon (1476-1508)

31. Coin of Alexander the Great (Amphipolis) 32. Coin of Alexander the Great (Magnesia) of Matthias, like the representation on one of his bronze medals (fig. 29),

34 or on the gold medal of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (fig. 30),

35 can be compared to several posthumous heads of Alexander appearing on coins, minted at Amphipolis, Magnesia and Lampsakos around 297 BC (figs. 31-32).

36 Similar representations of Matthias appear in miniature paintings in the Philostratus Codex (fig. 33),

37 and also on the leather cover of Matthias' Bible (fig. 34).

38 On these images the king is represented with raised head, and his eyes directed to the heavens. Divinity is expressed on his face, while his hair is reminiscent of the lion's main surrounded with the laurel wreath of antique heroes. His features conspicuously reflect those of the ideal figure: Alexander.

39 A specific ideal of the hero also appears in the Bautzen portrait, which in its profile view represents not the young hero of the Alexander type, but emphasizes rather the martial character of the hero, introduced by Verrocchio.

40 It is evident that the representation of Matthias on the Budapest relief does not correspond to this heroic ideal. He is still represented with lion-like hair, but other 34 The so-called second bronze medal representing the king in profile turning right, Budapest, Hungarian National Museum, cat. no. 147/885-50, (see Matthias Corvinus und die Renaissance in Ungarn, 1982, pp. 196-198). 35 Münzkabinett, cat. no. 709 a ss, (see Matthias Corvinus und die Renaissance in Ungarn, 1982, p. 198). 36 Richter, op. cit. (n. 33), 3, figs. 1719-1722. 3 ' Budapest, Széchényi National Library, cod. lat. 417, folio 1 v. 38 Kept in the University Library at Erlangen, ms. 6. 39 Melier, P., Physiognomical Theory in Renaissance Heroic Portraits, in The Renaissance and Mannerism, Studies in Western Art. Acts of the Twentieth International Congress of the History of Art, 2, Princeton, 1963, pp. 53-70. 40 Idem, pp. 53-70.