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)
It seems that the situation is quite different in the case of a big tombstone fragment, excavated in the 1960s in the Buda castle area. It was until now considered a solitary work and consequently never attracted much attention (fig. 45). 62 This red marble fragment, displayed in the permanent exhibition of the Historical Museum of Budapest, 63 represents the central section of a prelate's tombstone, showing the chasuble below the neck and above the waist. In his gloved left hand the prelate holds a lavishly decorated book in front of his chest. The entire surface is covered with a high quality low relief, imitating the characteristic pattern of Italian brocade. The attentive beholder quickly discovers among the leafy, foliated, floral motifs the keel arch-like pattern which is also clearly visible on the relief representing Beatrix, where it appears on the sleeve of the queen's brocade dress (fig. 46). The pearl motif, and the representation of precious stones above the book are also conspicuous. The similarity of the latter to those represented on the necklaces of Matthias and Beatrix, as also on the Visegrád fountain bowl and on the arch above the figure of Hope, are without doubt. On the Visegrád bowl and on the arch surrounding the Hope figure the small square and rectangular stones appear in different groupings, but their basic shapes are the same as those appearing on the tombstone fragment. It is also noticeable that on the heraldic right side of the tombstone fragment, on the level of the fingers, a little flower appears, surrounded with leaves and tendril, which occurs as well on the frieze in the Louvre (fig. 47). The same flower, this time without tendril, decorates the queen's dress on the Budapest relief too. Not only the use of similar motifs, but also the carving technique, the minute execution and the very high quality workmanship make it possible to recognize the fragment as a heretofore unrecognized work of Giovanni Dalmata. Instead of its early 16 th " century dating, I suggest as its 45. Fragment of a prelate's tombstone. Budapest, Historical Museum (l2 Zolnay, L., Középkori budai figurálisok (Medieval Hungarian Figurai Sculptures),Művészettörténeti Értesítő 24 ( 1975) pp. 255-266. 63 Historical Museum of Budapest, inv. no. 65.100.1.
