F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1995/1-2. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1995)

MŰHELY - Lángi József: A mesztegnyői ferences templom falképei és berendezése

foundation stone of the present church was layed on 30th June, 1750, by the Bishop of Veszprém, Márton Padányi Bird. It was consecrated in the same year, but because of the patron's death it was not finished and decorated. The decoration of the interior and its furnishings were made only at the end of the 1760's, beginning of the 1770's, following the coming of age of count János Nepomuk Hunyady, the son of Antal Hunyady, starting the rebuilding. The rebuilding is dated by the bricks built in the loft with sings of the year 1768, and by the altarpieces of István Dorffmaister signed and dated to 1772. In the course of the rebuilding the bricks of the demolished medieval monastery were also used. The wall paintings were made partly with „al secco" and partly with „al fresco" technique. The painter was István Dorffmaister, studying at the Academy of Vienna between 1751-59. He was one of most favourite and most often employed painter of the age in Hungary. His paintings remained favoured later also, they were repainted even in the 19th century and in the first third of the 20th century as well. The wall paintings of Mesztegnyő were not repainted however and could have been seen in their original state, had they not been damaged in the 2nd World War. The frescoes were not covering the whole surface of the interior, as it was usual in the age of Baroque, but only five altarpieces and their conch-ceiling. On the side-walls there was painted altar-architecture with grisaille figures imitating statues, surrounding altarpieces painted with oil on canvas. On the vaulting of the high altar there is Dorffmaister's favourite subject, a vivid composition of the Holy Trinity. The altar paintings is representing the Apotheosis of St. John of Nepomuk in a rare iconographie type. On the painted altar architecture there are the grisaille portraits larger than life size of St. Stephen and St. Ladislas. The wooden altar tabernacle was damaged in the 2nd World War and its present from is the result of changes and repaintings. The vaulting of the altar of the Immaculate Conception is damaged. The architecture of the altar is mostly white-washed, beside the altarpiece originally the grisaille representations of St. Anne and St. Joachim were to be seen. The altarpiece was destroyed, but its damaged frame was found and might be restored. The original tabernacle is on its place, there is a tiny oil painting on its door: St. Anne is instructing the Virgin. It is badly infesta ted and damaged, needs immediate restoration. On the vaulting of the altar of St. Francis the emblem of the Franciscan order is to be seen surrounded by putti. On the altar architecture remained in good condition the grisaille portraits of St. Bonaventura and St. Louis of Toulouse are to be seen. The altarpiece is representing the extasy of St. Francis. According to local sources the damaged tabernacle stood here. Its door is decorated with the painting of a young king. On the vaulting of the St. Anthony altar there is a putto holding the attributes of the saint. The architecture of the altar is partly destroyed, partly white-washed. Beside the altarpiece are the life size grisaille representations of a Franciscan holding a cross and St. John Kapisztran. The altarpiece is representing the Virgin appearing to St. Anthony. The tabernacle is destroyed.