Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 18. (Budapest, 1999)

Zsuzsanna LOVAY: Endre Thék and the Design of the Prime Minister's Study in the Hungarian Parliament

ornamentation on the cupboard doors, the decoration on the top of the ottoman, the outer border of the document stand), as well as their structure, correspond almost exactly to the pieces in the Prime Minister's Study. Most striking of all is the similarity in the construction of the two writing desks. The types of piece selected, structural resemblance's and the similarity of some decorative elements all serve to underline our contention that the furniture in the Prime Minister's Study was designed by Ernő Foerk. Moreover, not long ago each and every one of the original furniture sketches (figs. 11 & 12) came to light among the plans for the Parliament. Ernő Foerk'

s furniture designs were simply approved by Imre Steindl in his capacity as chief architect; he signed them on 16 July 1898. The authorship of the designs is confirmed by the initials "fe" placed directly next to the drawings/

0 Steindl was kept busy by the larger designs - he thought in terms of the building complex as a whole and delegated the design of rooms and furniture to his fellowarchitects. Design of the furniture for one of the most important rooms he entrusted to the youthful Ernő Foerk (1868-1934). Foerk had also been a pupil of Friedrich Schmidt at the Vienna Academy, and together with Imre Steindl and a number of fellow-architects at the university he had participated in the surveying of mediaeval Hungarian monuments and in the restoration of mediaeval Hungarian churches. At the turn of the 20th century he took up design work, primarily in the field of goldsmith's work. By this time Endre Thék directed the largest furniture-making factory in Budapest, collaborating in the furnishing of the more important buildings erected by the state - the Opera House (Miklós Ybl: 187584), the rebuilt Royal Palace in Buda (Alajos Hauszmann: 1891-1905), and the Supreme Court (Alajos Hauszmann: 189396). With regard to the furniture in the Prime Minister's Study, the search within Historicism for a national style and, in parallel with this, the issue of a "Hungarian national style" influenced its creators only remotely. The embellishment of the ceramic inlays made for the furniture and the wall panelling by the Zsolnay factory was seen as a source for the creation of a "Hungarian national style". József Huszka used a collection (together with its motifs) of Hungarian peasant and shepherd's art published in 1885.

77 Thék drew on European Historicism (and within this mainly Louis XVI, German Neo-Renaissance and English Classicism), as well as on 19th- and 20thcentury so-called English modern furniture, which reached Hungary principally through German mediation. Surviving furniture from the Prime Minister's Study in the collection of Budapest Historical Museum (hereafter BTM): Writing desk Inv. No.: BTM IP 67.31.1. Bookcase Inv. No.: BTM IP 67.31.2. Three-door cupboard Inv. No.: BTM IP 67.31.3. Low table Inv. No.: BTM IP 67.31.3.