F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 2000/1-2. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 2000)

MŰHELY - Bozóki Lajos: Középkori falképek a keszthelyi Szent Miklós-temetőkápolnán

Lajos BOZÓKY MEDIEVAL WALL-PAINTINGS ON THE WALL OF THE FORMER CHOIR OF THE ST. NICHOLAS CEMETERY CHAPEL IN KESZTHELY The cemetery chapel situated at the southern side of the city of Keszthely might have been the former chapel of the medieval part called Szentmiklósszeg. The medieval church was rebuilt from its ruins in 1713. The cemetery around it was formed in 1775. The building was rebuilt in 1909 in historicising style according to the plans of Ottó Sztchlo and János Schadl. The medieval wall-paintings cover the southern and eastern facade of the former square choir (presently tower) in a band approximately 150 cm wide. On its northern and partly on the eastern side plaster was knocked off in an earlier period, and for this reason wall-paintings were discovered in 2000 only in a fragmentary state. The paintings were divided to two fields by painted frameworks, and they have a light yellow base with dark purple and red contours. In the upper comer of the left side field the blue-grey shade of the original colouring can be observed, with the fragments of a halo and a face carved in the plaster. On the right side of the figure with halo there is another one with dark yellow colouring. The two eyebrows and a fragment of the eye has remained from the face, below two columns are standing on something hardly identifiable the fluting of the columns are signed by red and dark purple stripes, their socles are simple echinus. On the southern wall of the tower parts of a medieval window-frame has remained. At the height of the window-top a head of a tiny lying figure was found in rather bad condition, on its right there are fragments of an ornamental pattern with red and yellow stripes. On the right side there is another figure with a halo behind the plaster, the incised part of the halo can only be seen. The southern part of the eastern tower wall is also covered with painting. The figure with halo on the right field (its height is about 160 cm) is in the best condition. He was painted on red-yellow base with dark purple and black contours. His dress is decorated with two layers of ornamental pattern. His face is framed by long hair with short curls on the forehead. In his left hand hold up he has three arrows, with his right he is pointing towards the opposite figure with halo. The column-based figure with halo is most probably illustrating the apocalyptic visions of St. John the Evangelist. The other figure is fitting in to this context with the three arrows signing traditionally the plague, famine and war of the Last Judgement (Ezekiel 5. 16-17.).