F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 2000/1-2. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 2000)

MŰHELY - M. Veres Lujza: A nyírturai református templom nemrég előkerült „Imago Pictatis” falképe

with raised hands, palms turned out. His shoulder-long hair is red, there is a white linen shawl on his head. His countenance cannot be seen. The loin-cloth is brilliantly painted, the composition is naturalistic, although the contours give a soft graphic impression. The restored wall-painting can be seen surrounded by its original light green frame bands. The iconography is rare among Hungarian murals, its conception is resembling rather to the early 16

th century renaissance Southern-German art - connected mainly to Dürer - the style of which was transmitted through German and Saxon art of Northern Hungary. Beyond iconoghraphic similarities a very close parallel is a panel of the former altar in the church of Garamszentbenedek made in 1510 and representing the same subject (presently in the collection of the Christian Museum of Esztergom). Before the standing Christ with arms stretched out a donátor, the abbot John III is kneeling with a ciborium in his hand, in the background to the right the representation of the Benedictine abbey, below an inscription of the donation can bee seen. Naturalistic manner, linear contours and graphic representation of the loin-cloth offer stylistic similarities with the above mentioned Southern German art. An excellent sculptural example is a similar statue standing in the central niche of a winged altar in the church of St. Egidius in Bártfa represented on the drawing of Viktor Myskovszky. Considering foreign analogies two works of similar subject by Albrecht Dürer in the circle of the Passion can be seen on one of the engravings. The pen and ink drawing of the master is in the collection of the canon József Dankó in Esztergom. The robust body is lined by strong contours on both compositions, the figure remains very suggestive however. The drawing style of the loin-cloth is also similar to the wall painting of Nyírtura. The pose of a similar Christ figure painted by Hans von Kulmbach belonging to the circle of Dürer is different, though the representation of the body and the head is very similar to that of the wall painting. Another great master of German renaissance, Mathias Grünewald finished his resurrected Christ on the Isenheim altar between 1512-15. The work has many stylistic similarities with the wall painting of Nyírtura. The two works are connected by the new use of tones and lights and the picturesque manner of painting draperies. The lighting of the figure on Griinewald's panel gives a monumental impression, the similar head type and the use of green and red is also reminding to Nyírtura. So the wall painting has its general art historical connections beyond its particular artistic qualities.