Tátrai Vilmos szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 90-91.(Budapest, 1999)

VARGA, LÍVIA: The Reconsideration of the Portrait Reliefs of King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490), and Queen Beatrix of Aragon (1476-1508)

century, together with the sparse architectural and sculpted remains, testify that the castle was partly rebuilt and decorated in Renaissance style.

7 From 1476 to 1501 Diósgyőr was in the possession of Queen Beatrix and was managed with the help of her Italian castellans. Between 1540-1563 it was pawned to the Balassa family. In 1563, before the widow of Sigismund Balassa gave it back to the crown, the Balassa heirs removed many valuables from the castle. Since Sajólád was also a Balassa property at that time, there is good reason to suppose that the reliefs were taken to Sajólád from what may well have been their original home in Diósgyőr Castle, rather than from the Buda palace of king Matthias.

8 Since there is no documentary evidence mentioning either the commissioner or the artist of the reliefs, or the date of execution, one must turn to style criticism on the one hand, and ideas current in the princely courts of Italy and in the royal court of Matthias on the other, to determine their authorship and meaning, not to mention some of the numerous other questions surrounding them. There exist several contemporary descriptions of the king's appearance written by humanists, such as Galeotto Marzio, and Antonio Bonfini, the king's historiographer. They both knew the king personally and were his guests and companions in Buda. Galeotto, who knew the king's dislike for empty flattery, mentioned that his strength was mediocre and "possessed rather the beauty of Mars than that of Venus". He even made reference to a physical defect, namely that he could not bend his little finger, thus implying that the King was not perfect.

9 But Galeotto also drew attention to the king's excellent memory, his ability to speak languages and his exceptional achievements as a ruler. His Matthias was an outstanding figure in a human way.

10 Contrary to Galeotto's Matthias, Bonfinf s description of the king was based on Plutarch's work on Alexander the Great, and characteristics of Alexander were applied, sometimes word by word, to the description of the appearance of the Hungarian king." This part of Bonfini's work is a literary Alexander imitation. Bonfini presents a strongly idealized Matthias, a godlike king, whose "gaze was free and direct like that 7 The principal remains include remnants of white marble pilaster strips, door frames, fragments of a white marble cornice painted and decorated with a garland, fragments of a red marble altar mensa with inscription, white marble architectural elements, and three big fragments of a sculpted altar which originally stood in the chapel. These show approximately the same quality and Renaissance style which characterizes the surviving fragments from the Buda palace of King Matthias. See Wenzel, G., Diósgyőr egykori történelmi jelentősége (The Historical Significance of Diósgyőr), Pest 1X72; Dümmerling, Ö., Diósgyőr vára (The Castle of Diósgyőr), Budapesti Szemle 1958, pp. 3-18. 8 Szendrei, i.,A diósgyőri vár története (The History of Diósgyőr Castle), Budapest 1927; Komáromy, J., Miskolc élete a Hunyadiak idejében (Life in Miskolc during the reign of the Hunyady family). Borsodi Szemle 1962:6. pp. 88 90; Czcglédy, 1., A Diósgyőri rar (Diósgyőr Castle). Budapest 1988, pp. 13-19, 40. 94-97. 9 Galeottus Martius Narniensis, De egregie, sapienter, jocose dictis acfactis regis Mathiae, ad ducem Johannán eins filium Uber, ed. Juhász. L.. Lipsiae 1934, XX111. 10 Pajorin, K.. Humanista irodalmi müvek Mátyás király dicsőítésére (Humanist Literary works for the Glorification of King Matthias), in Hunyadi Mátyás Emlékkönyv Mátyás király halálának 500. évfordulójára, Budapest 1990, pp. 333-363. " Borzsák, [., A Nagy Sándor hagyomány Magyarországon (The Alexander the Great tradition in Hungary), Antik Tanulmányok 30 ( 1983:1 ) pp. 1-19.