Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-05-01 / 5. szám
8 FRATERNITY His school days in Nagy varad coincided witli the discovery of ruins of the ancient cathedral in which Saint Ladislaus, King of Hungary, had been buried in 1095. One of the most valuable architectural monuments from the nation’s past, the cathedral had been completely destroyed during the Turkish occupation. Not even the ruins could be found until the excavations were made. Finta spent much of his spare time at the site, studying every technical detail with interest. What he learned there he applied later, when he himself directed excavations.2 As a boy, Finta was frequently involved in pranks and fights. He was noted among his fellow students for his physical strength and his inventiveness. Despite his mischief, he was also an eminent student, graduating from the reálgimnázium in Nagy var ad with top honors. He then went to Kassa and enrolled in the state technical school, where he acquired a diploma in mechanical engineering.3 Ever since he had seen his first train, Finta —- like many a boy — had been fascinated by steam locomotives. But, with a job on the railroad, he became restless; instead of directing traffic and serving passengers, he himself wanted to travel. Resigning his post, he joined the merchant marine and in visits to Near Eastern and African ports came in contact with new peoples and cultures.4 The impressions he gathered then were released in his art later on. A typical example of his ability to memorize figures and forms is the carved chest now in the possession of his widow: The characters in the Last Supper and in the low relief of Joseph and His Brothers are actual persons whom Finta saw when he served in the merchant marine, some 50 years before the chest was made. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid.
