Veszprémi Nóra - Jávor Anna - Advisory - Szücs György szerk.: A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria Évkönyve 2005-2007. 25/10 (MNG Budapest 2008)

NEW ACQUISITIONS, NEW RESULTS - Zsuzsanna BAKÓ: Soma Orlai Petrics: The Portrait Gallery of the Mihálkovics Family

ZSUZSANNA BAKÓ Soma Orlai Petrics: The Portrait Gallery of the Mihálkovics Family SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF JÁNOS MIHÁLKOVICS, 1856(111. 1) Oil on canvas, 87x71 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2005.5 T SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF MRS JÁNOS MIHÁLKOVICS, NÉE MÁRIA BOLDIS KAPÁS, 1856 (111. 2) Oil on canvas, 87

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71 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2004.6 T SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF GÉZA MIHÁLKOVICS, 1856(111. 3.) Oil on canvas, 87x71 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2006.23 T Felicián Zách or Dame Perényi Gathering the Dead on the Battlefield of Mohács, not only served and expressed the strengthening of national identity, but were overtures of sorts for the great romantic tendency of historical painting hallmarked by Bertalan Székely and Viktor Madarász. Nevertheless, he truly made his name with his portraiture, especially his series of portraits of Sándor Petőfi, who soon became the poet of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence, the first of which he made with the poet himself standing as a model in 1848. Later, following Petőfi's martyrdom, in the fever of his cult, Orlai painted him in several half-length portraits and full-size pictures with conversation-piece settings, such as: Petőfi in His Study, Petőfi at Mezőberény or Petőfi in Debrecen - to mention the best-known pieces in the series. In her monograph of the artist published in 1984, SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF TIVADAR MIHÁLKOVICS, 1856(111.4) Oil on canvas, 126x100 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2004.3 T SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF HELÉNA MIHÁLKOVICS, 1856 (111. 5) Oil on canvas, 85.5x69.5 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2004.4 T SOMA ORLAI PETRICS: PORTRAIT OF ÁRPÁD MIHÁLKOVICS, 1856 (Colour Plate VII) Oil on canvas, 59x46 cm Unsigned Inv. no.: 2004.5 T One of our outstanding 19

th-century masters, Soma Orlai Petrics (1822-1880) was a multi-faceted artist, proving his skills in several genres. He was an important representative of nationally oriented historical painting, and was the first to create noteworthy, monumental works with this subject matter in the middle of the 19

th century. His most important pictures, such as The Discovery of the Corpse of King Lajos II of Hungary, The Diet at Ónod,