Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 11. (Budapest, 1991)
STURCZ János: Maróti Géza pályaműve a Rockefeller Centerhez
The third attribute of Pallas Athene is the typical helmet, enriched with a sphynx in the middle and a winged horse on each side. Maróti takes away the helmet and the animals, but leaves the wings, thus recalling another allegorical female, Poetica. The latter is usually portrayed with wings on her temples (the symbols of rapid thought), in a blue dress enriched with stars (!), holding a laurel wreath and a harp. Moreover, the delicacy and ease of the figure, marked by the slim body, the windblown veils and the posture (resting one leg on a ball) reminds us of Victoria, the goddess of victory in the ancient Roman empire. Victoria is usually portrayed standing on a ball, raised slightly and holding a wreath (see Dürer 's Great Fortuna (15001501)). The figure of New Religion is the same; the only difference Ms the hour-glass held in her hand. Classical iconography attributes the hour-glass to Death, while on Vanitas pictures and on illustrations of St.Jcromc it refers to the ephemeral nature of human affairs. Here it perhaps warns the sleeping humanity to take account of time passing and of the key importance of rapid reaction and the „time is money" principle. 49 THE SPHERE OF HUMANITY The message of the groups of workers and scientists has already been touched upon: they are the active representatives of awakening humanity. The illustration is a peculiar mixture of the dynamic marching of parades and shows and the closed and static genres of work; the groups seem to march on while, at the same time, parts are halted in a certain posture. Behind the workers, the new Mary looks as if she is waving from a tribune, like a figure of Providence sheltering working people with her arms raised, and at the same time listening to the „annunciation" of the Sound. The „Capitalist", the male equivalent of Providence, stands beside her like a new Joseph. In Maróti's oeuvre, the fresco in the workers' casino in Csepel (a district of Budapest), (picture 19; 1919) can be regarded as an antecedent of the group of workers in this picture, since both pieces show a marching group lead by an old proletarian. 50 Two angel-like female figures connect the classes with the spiritual centre, i.e. the intelligence symbolized by the Past-Present group. Voice from the Clouds flies towards the workers, whereas the intelligentsia is approached by Fame. Originally, they were identical; „Farne" was only equipped with scales, the symbol of justice only on the last version. In this case, it probably refers to the justice of deserved fame. This is emphasized by the controversial figure of Fame, who flies towards scientists, the. potential beneficiaries of fame, uniting and mixing features of Justitia, and the archangels Michael and Gabriel. The scales arc placed in Archangel Michael's hands in pictures representing the Last Judgment, whereas in symbolic illustrations they are in Justitia's hand. 51 The blessing and warning gesture of the figure recalls the figure of Archangel Gabriel in the Annunciation scenes. And now we are back again in the centre of the composition, where there is a group symbolizing humanity awakening to consciousness. THE „ AWAKENING GROUP" This group conceals many artistic references, and it was perhaps Maróti's favourite detail in the compositions. This is underlined by the fact that two years after the completion of the design he copied and
