THE LADY AND THE ICON

MRTA NAGY AND THE POST-BYZANTINE ART IN HUNGARY

Referring to a books to be dealt with in due time, the title wishes to grasp
and present in a nutshell, both formally and metaphorically, the subject and the
object of our statement. The Lady comes first, an eminent researcher, an academic,
and the measure of human kindness; then the Icon, the most sacred image of all,
a genuine prototype of the
Divine, an object of devotion, and the measure of artistry. Bearing in mind that
the two may come together
in any time and place, one
should define them: what
Lady and which Icon are
meant here? In order to grant
them a certain identity, one
needs to mention a name
and identify an artistic, ethnical, and confessional category. The name is that of
Mrta Nagy, an associate
professor at Debrecen University, a Byzantinologist
and art historian. The object of our presentation is
the religious art of Hungarian Orthodox communities.
Of course, one needs also a
reason to connect these two
on the pages of this journal.
Such a reason is not difficult to find, as long as Romanians from Hungary in
general, and Romanian artists active in Hungary in particular, have frequently
been the object of her research. The latter group includes such prominent figures
as Stefan Tenecki, Gheorghe and Grigore Ranite, and Stan of Rinari, whose
masterpieces are to be found both in Alba County (Romania) and in other places

Ana Dumitran

where they were commissioned to work. It so happens that their real work may
never be fully appreciated if one ignores what lies beyond the borders of ones
own country. Research by Mrta Nagy has established this particular connection;
nonetheless, in spite of her international fame, most of her studies are still
unknown to Romanian historians. This presentation aims to redress this sorry
state of affairs. All the more so, as her academic output has also covered other
topics of common interest which will be pointed out along the way. In addition,
mention must be made of her museum work, consisting of ordinary tasks, which,
however, Mrta Nagy has carried out with great enthusiasm proving herself a
real professional and producing most noteworthy results.
At the end of this introduction, it is more than overdue to present a brief
bio-bibliography of the researcher.
Mrta Nagy was born in Szolnok, on February the 25th, 1953. Between
1971 and 1976, she studied History and Russian Language and Literature at the
Jzsef Attila University of Szeged. She began her career as a curator at the
Budapest History Museum; later on, from 1980, she joined the Institute of Slavic
Philology of Kossuth Lajos University at Debrecen, where she taught medieval
Russian Culture for more than a decade. In 1981, she defended her first
postgraduate thesis for the Doctor of University degree under the supervision of
Professor Kdr Zoltn. Its subject was the representation of time in medieval
Russian icon painting. After that Mrta Nagy launched the systematic research
of Post-Byzantine art in Hungary at the time largely unexplored in the mid80s. One of the first topics she approached was the activity (in Hungary) of
Stefan Tenecki, a painter from Arad, to whom she dedicated a study1, and in
whose oeuvre she takes a constant interest, often re-analysing his works. In
1991, she defended her second postgraduate thesis for the CSc (Candidate of
Sciences degree) written on the Orthodox iconostases of Hungary. In 2000, she
presented her habilitation thesis, which was dedicated to the icons and iconostases
of Greek communities in Hungary. Time and again, she is invited by a Greek
and a German university to give lectures on the art of the Greek Diaspora and do
research on the art of the Armenian Diaspora living in Transylvania. Since 2009,
she has been a member of the organizing committee of the annual international
symposium Ni and Byzantium and is on the editorial board of the academic
journal with the same title, which will have seen 13 editions by 2014. As of this
year, she is also on the editorial board of Series Byzantina, published in Warsaw.
Since 1991, Mrta Nagy has been a member of the public body of the
Hungarian Academy of Sciences and a member of the Hungarian Society of Art
1
Stefan Tenecki and the products of his workshop in Hungary, in
( ), 25, 1989, p. 191-200; Stefan Tenecki s mhelynek munki
Magyarorszgon, in Mvszettrtneti rtest (Budapest), 1-4, 1989, p. 89-99.

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

History and Archaeology. In 1995, Debrecen University established a Department of Art History on her initiative, which Mrta Nagy headed until 2005,
when it merged with the Department of Classical Philology due to financial
reasons. She organised biennial national conferences, followed by international
ones starting in 2003, and published the journal Postbiznci kzlemnyek/ Studia
Postbizantina Hungarica, in order to integrate interrelated research in the fields
of Byzantine history, ethnography, bibliography, religion, art, music, etc. The
periodical had six issues between 1994 and 2003.
Mrta Nagy has always combined her studies of artefacts and monuments
with archive research, in order to document not only the lives of artists, architects, sculptors, or painters, but also population mobility, the legal framework
sanctioning the presence of minorities in Hungary, and their specific ethnical
and national identity. Gathering data from such diverse fields, Mrta Nagy has
been the first and only researcher interested in cultural assimilation, or in the
preservation of national identity through art. This aspect of cohabitation in a
multiethnic and multiconfessional area, in a time characterised by the gradual
manifestation of national issues, became one of the most fascinating topics in
Mrta Nagys works, developing from individual studies to large syntheses and
monographs.
In 2008, many of such studies, accompanied by Greek and English abstracts, composed the volume A biznci ikontl a nyugati barokkig, Tanulmnyok
a magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszetrl (From Byzantine Icon to
Western Baroque. Studies on the Ecclesiastical Art of the Greek Diaspora in
Hungary). This volume covers a wide range of topics, which include the following: Greek merchants settling on Hungarian soil; the construction of the Greek
church in Karcag; the pilgrimage icon of Hadzsi Demeter, a merchant from
Jszberny; the typology of Greek funerary monuments in Jszkun County; the
workshop of Nikolaos Ioannou Talydoros (Mikls Jankovicz), a wood-carver
and builder of iconostases from Eger; the cultural assimilation of the Greek
Diaspora, and the consequent changes in the production of artefacts; the context
of the Orthodox church building programme in Hungary during the 18th century;
and, last but not least, the origin and evolution of various iconographic types in
the icon painting of Hungary (St. Helen with a Palm Branch, Christ the High
Priest, St. Naum).
The results of her research have also been published in richly illustrated
monographs, containing extensive abstracts in English and in the languages of
the ethnic minorities discussed therein.
Let me first present the volume published in 1994, which bears the title
Ortodox falkpek Magyarorszgon (Mural Paintings of the Orthodox in Hungary),
and discusses the mural painting of Orthodox minorities. The album contains
prints of outstanding quality, and presents the history of 71 artworks together

Ana Dumitran

with the churches of Orthodox communities, the latter-day descendants of the

Serbian, Greek and Romanian immigrants who settled in Hungary between the
14th and 18th centuries. The detailed presentation of the frescoes made between
1765-1771 (the oldest one in Rckeve) and 1987-1990 (the latest, in Mhkerk/
Micherechiu), with special references to the Western architecture sheltering them,
to the painters lives, and to style of the paintings (mostly Byzantine but usually
adapted to the current period style), represents a praiseworthy contribution to the
study of the national art of the aforementioned ethnic groups. The greatest part
of the work is dedicated to Rckeve frescoes, made by a group of Greek and Macedovlach (Aromanian) painters from Moschopolis. They form a unique ensemble
in the history of Post-Byzantine art, due to their particular style, to their manifest
attachment to an old tradition in a time dominated by Baroque influences, and to
the singular combination of Gothic church interiors and Post-Byzantine mural
paintings. The contributions in mural painting of Stefan Tenecki in Szentes
(1786) and Bks (1791) are discussed and illustrated for the first time in this
volume. The image on page 69 (The Ascension of Our Lord) presents us with the
researchers favourite artist. What else could explain its presence, as a miniature, on the title page of the volume?

Budapest, 2011, House of Russian Science and Culture. Mrta Nagy presenting the exhibition
Russian prototypes in the contemporary icon painting in Hungary.

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

The second monograph, dedicated to the Orthodox iconostases of Hungary

(Ortodox ikonosztzionok Magyarorszgon), was also published in 1994 and
describes in detail all of the 71 churches in the Orthodox communities,
completed between 1720 and 1920, and falling into several stylistic categories.
This volume in general is the first work to enumerate the iconostases of Serbian,
Greek-Macedovlach, Romanian and Bulgarian communities, also giving their
detailed description and dating them. The volume deals with their architecture,
wood-carvings and paintings. The striking key in the execution of the iconostases is the integration of Baroque elements in the Post-Byzantine ensembles of
the 18th century. Thus, following Western traditions, they are Baroque, NeoClassical or historical, even though they are objects of Eastern art. The works of
Stefan Tenecki in Bks, Bkscsaba and Szentes are extensively analyzed and
illustrated in the introductory part of the volume, similarly to the iconostasis
fragments of Gheorghe Ranite and Nedelcu Popovici. Their activity in Hungary
is also known due to research carried out by Mrta Nagy2.
A bilingual volume dedicated to Greek religious artefacts in Hungary,
published in 1996 (
/ Grg egyhzmvszeti emlkek Magyarorszgon), was followed by
a more comprehensive work in 1998: A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszeti emlkei, I. Ikonok, ikonosztzionok. This book resumes a much larger
perspective concerning the strivings of a minority group in order to preserve its
ethnical identity within the Orthodox community, a minority in Hungary in its
turn. Showing the characteristics of provincial, even peripheral art, the items of
Greek art in Hungary are mainly icons, both portable and attached to iconostasis.
The oldest date back to the 17th century, a time when the Greek and Macedovlach population did not comprise sedentary peoples in Hungary. They led an
itinerant life and their artefacts are imported pieces, coming from Venetian,
Cretan or Athonite workshops. From the beginning of the 18th century onwards,
they were also produced in Hungary. Around 1770, three groups of painters were
dominant: Mitrofan and his assistants, the circle of Hristofor Zefar, and Theodoros
Simos group in Rckeve the latter consisting of painters originating from
Moschopolis. In the period following the Edict of religious Tolerance issued in
1780 by Joseph II, Greek art flourished in Hungary, since the Greek inhabitants of
the country were allowed to build their own churches. It was during this
constructive effort of erecting churches that their cultural assimilation began, for
their art was quite similar to that of another minority, the Serbs. The first and most
important non-Greek painter hired by the Greeks was Stefan Tenecki, who was
followed by Ioan Grabovan, Toma Vishanov, Anton Kchelmeister, Pavel
2

The first reference was the study entitled Az esztergomi ortodox templom Apostol-frze, in
Limes I, 1991, p. 113-176.

Ana Dumitran

Djurkovi, etc. The catalogue of Mrta Nagys volume, with its extensive presentations and black and white illustrations, includes 88 portable icons, 10 iconostases and 9 fragments of iconostasis, with 40 colour illustrations. 38 portable icons
belong to masters from Rckeve, while 4 icons and 2 iconostases are works by
Stefan Tenecki. This book is the first to enumerate the icons of the Greek-Macedovlach community in Hungary, also giving their detailed description and dating them.
Another bilingual (Hungarian and English) work, which has gone through
two editions, was first published in 2000: Ikonfestszet Magyarorszgon/ Icon
Painting in Hungary exceeds confessional limits (until then respected) through
the inclusion of Greek Catholic art. The main motive force behind this publication was the fact that Hungary is the area with the greatest ethnical diversity of
Eastern-rite believers, including communities of Orthodox Serbs, Romanians,
Greeks, Bulgarians, and Hungarian-speaking Greek-Catholics (originally Ruthenians and Romanians). This multiethnic character is mirrored even by the parishes: often different ethnic groups contributed to the construction of one single
church. Preserving ones national identity was perceived in diverse ways on an
individual level, especially in the case of artefacts for personal devotion, even if
the hired artists and the commissioners belonged to different ethnic groups. For
financial reasons mural painting was too expensive the icon most frequently
had a relatively greater importance for these communities, which renders it extremely interesting not only from an art historical point of view, but also from that
of history in general, and ecclesiastical history and cultural history in particular.

Szeged, 2011, Mra Ferenc Museum. Mrta Nagy presenting the exhibition dedicated to Saint Naum.

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

The book takes the reader on an in-depth voyage into the history of the
Orthodox population in Hungary, starting with the 12th century. References are
made to the places where there were historical churches (most of them destroyed
during the Turkish wars) and to the life-style of Macedonian caravan merchants.
During their travels, exposed to great dangers, they chose to protect themselves
by carrying icons. Some of these were bought on the way from Serbs or Greeks,
and later on sold along the route. Mrta Nagys volume often describes the preserved works, all illustrated in black and white, in relation to their Orthodox host
communities. These communities also called upon various painters from their
native countries in order to embellish the churches that they went to.

Kecskemt, 2014, Cifra Palace Museum. Mrta Nagy presenting the exhibition
Aknay and the Icon. The painter is the second from the left.

At the same time, the middle of the 17th century saw a stronger influence
of the Roman Catholic Church on Ruthenians and Romanians in Northeast
Hungary; even though Uniate, they continued to draw their influences from the
principles of the Post-Byzantine art of the so-called Carpathian School, which
was gradually contaminated by Western influences. Thus, their icons became
religious paintings and the technique itself underwent certain alterations in the
spirit of the craft practiced by contemporary Western European painters. The
absorption of Western painting methods and clichs nonetheless contributed to
the elimination of Byzantine rigidity and hieratic quality in such popular and
naive art to a relatively smaller extent. The lack of skill and experience, or the
naivety of human nature played a greater role in it. These deviations from the

Ana Dumitran

original meaning of the sacred image and the clumsiness of certain painters did
not hinder the objects, such as the icon of the Virgin and Child from Pcs, from
performing miracles. After its lachrymation in 1696, this icon became an object
of profound veneration and a symbol of the Hungarian Catholic revival.

Aknay Jnos, Saint Naum, 2010

Painter from the school from Rckeve,

Saint Naum with life scenes, ca 1770

It should however be noted that because the populations that returned to

full communion with the Holy See of Rome were settled in Hungary, Greek
Catholic icons outnumbered the ones used in the Orthodox milieu. The author of
Icon Painting in Hungary thus feels a need to return to the Orthodox artefacts of
the 18th century, a period when large Serbian and Greek merchant communities settled in Hungary and were consequently granted privileges, which ensured
that they should prosper in number and fortune. The volume carries on with the
description of items in close relation with the history of the communities who
ordered and used them, offering a detailed image of their political, social,
economic and cultural life. Such a life had been originally shaped in the old
churches or chapels, but from the last decades of the 18th century it concentrated
in more prosperous places of worship, to the embellishment of which some of

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

the most renowned artists of the time lent a hand. Among them, one finds familiar names: those of Gheorghe Ranite, Nedelcu Popovici, and Stefan Tenecki,
who was equally hired by the Hungarian Serbs (Pest, c. 1760), Macedovlachs
and Greeks (Bks, Szentes, c. 1785), and Romanians (Bkscsaba, 1789).
The dependence of Greeks and Romanians on the ecclesiastical authority
of Serbian dioceses, and the concomitant moral and social authority of the Serbs
the oldest, the most populous and the most privileged Orthodox minority of
Hungary provided that powerful community with the necessary conditions for
the development of an art which influenced even their native country, on the one
hand. And on the other, it secured that they should gain the upper hand over the
other Orthodox minorities, resulting in a tendency to assimilate them culturally
to what historians define as Serbian Baroque.
The final section of the volume consists of 26 colour plates reproducing 27
icons representative of the epochs, styles and ethnical minorities the author
presents. This volume is unique even today in discussing the church art of
Orthodox and Greek Catholic communities in Hungary together.
Her monograph published in 2012 is dedicated to the Hungarian cult of
Saint Naum of Ohrid as a form of preserving ones ethnic identity (Ohridi Szent
Naum magyarorszgi kultusza mint az etnikai identits megrzsnek megnyilatkozsa)1. The publication of the book and the organisation of an impressive
exhibition and international symposium (2010) also coordinated by Mrta
Nagy commemorated, in a unique combination all over the world, the 1100th
anniversary of the Saints death. This splendidly illustrated, elegantly and impeccably printed volume represents one of the authors greatest accomplishments. Here she gives a perfect synthesis of her work on one of her beloved
subjects, for which she had toiled for almost a decade2. This volume is the first
work to enumerate the objects of devotion related to Saint Naums cult in
Hungary. The book is a remarkable plea and genuine methodological exercise
about how diverse aspects of group identity in a multiethnic and multiconfessional area may be studied. Saint Naums cult was one of the exteriorised
manifestations of the ethnic identity of Macedovlach immigrants coming from
the Ohrid region to Hungary throughout the 18th century. Their attachment to
this national saint is testified by the frequency with which he was elected as
the patron saint of their churches, his name was chosen for babies in baptism,
and, most of all, he is depicted in their art. Mrta Nagy identifies 42 items (with
149 compositions), falling into four types of artworks: icons, mural paintings,
engravings and oil paintings.
1
For which see also the section Recenzii (Reviews) of this volume. The book was still pointed out
to Romanian researchers by journal Ars Transsilvaniae, XII, 2012, p. 188-191.
2
The first approach was presented in 2005 at the 6th international symposium Ni and Byzantium.

10

Ana Dumitran

Most of the icons were made by a group of painters settled in Rckeve, all
of them born in Moschopolis. They often depicted the saint as their patron,
suggesting that thus his protection also expands over Macedovlach immigrants
in Hungary. Two of the engravings are the works of master Hristofor Zefar,
made at the request of local Hungarian patrons. They represent Naum as the
protective saint of the monastery he founded on the shores of lake Ohrid. He is
surrounded by scenes reminiscent of a veduta, combining hagiography, legends
and anecdotes. The saint substitutes even his own relics, as he is depicted with a
so-called relic hand, i. e. a dried limb similar to his relics. This aspect of Zefars
engravings suggests that the engravings became objects of veneration themselves,
which took the place of the pilgrimage to the saints real relics. Two of Zefars
engravings led to a series of particular features in the cults manifestation in
Hungary, and link the Macedovlachs native country and their adopted homeland.
This cultural connection took became manifest when the Westernized images
began to circulate; the Balkan representations of Saint Naum took after the new
fashion, a thing that led to a certain degree of assimilation to the Western milieu.
That process, however, was never accomplished, because the inscriptions were
always written in Greek (and Cyrillic on two occasions), thus referring to the
patrons native country. The cult of Saint Naum proved to be an efficient way of
preserving Macedovlach ethnic identity in Hungary. It represented a form of
attachment to the Macedovlachs second mother tongue (or culture, Greek), and to
the religion of their ancestors, but also a case study in how they managed to delay
the inevitable process of assimilation that all minorities are subject to.
Mrta Nagy does not regard icon painting only as a craft connected to the
aesthetics of one style or another, but first and foremost links it to theology and
to a certain creed. Since these may also manifest intuitively, involuntarily, her
research never raises barriers by encompassing works of art from previous
centuries exclusively. In 2009 she organised the first exhibition of contemporary
icon painting in Hungary, in Kecskemt Art Gallery (Cifrapalota). The exhibition organised to commemorate Saint Naum was a genuinely innovative experiment: she invited various contemporary painters to create new icons for the
occasion. However, the most interesting and at the same time most challenging
aspect of her work has been her reaction to the works of the neo-avant-garde
master Jnos Aknay. His paintings are frequently called icons or interpreted as
such by his critics and biographers. Mrta Nagys assessment of his art is summed
up in a bilingual book (Hungarian and English), published in 2013: Aknay s az
Ikon/ Aknay and the Icon. It accompanied an exhibition she organized, which
was initially hosted by the Szentendre Serbian Orthodox Museum and, since
January 2014, has been held at Kecskemt Art Gallery. Her book about the
connection between icon painting and contemporary art, just like her exhibitions,
are organic outgrowths of her research on medieval and early modern art. They

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

11

explore how the legacy of minority Orthodox art is carried on in majority Catholic painting, which develops and preserves its components at the same time.
In the course of these enterprises Mrta Nagy presented her own point of
view, one among many, but an extremely well documented one, about the links
between the surrealistic paintings of Jnos Aknay and the many icons of Szentendre, his resident town enshrining a heritage that profoundly marked the activity of many artists settled in this heart of Serbian culture and art in Hungary.
Mrta Nagy identifies the influence of the icon in Aknays work in an
ability to render things permanent, in his usage of simple forms reduced to their
essence, in his abstract backgrounds, his rigid, meditative figures represented
frontally, his usage of symbols and calculated perspectives. She finds numerous
examples in the Aknay oeuvre that give her a chance to start an angelology
debate, identifying sources and interpretations possibly not even known to the
artist for his abstract representations of angels, saints, and even portraits with
undisguised refinement. Still, despite the iconicity of these representations, she
does not acknowledge that Aknays paintings should be modern icons; she
considers them only similar to icons, since they enjoy a certain iconic essence,
but are located at the crossroads of a lyrical and surrealist constructivism: the
angel as a theme and the authors faith in God.
Research by Mrta Nagy is both remarkably accurate and scientifically rigorous; it is admirably illustrated, in the form of exhibitions and books alike; it
impresses her readers by her thorough analysis, by the diversity of the angles
from which her topics have been analysed, and by her interdisciplinary attitude
towards restitutions. Her highly professional approach and the trans-national
nature of the artistic and cultural phenomena she studies are most happily reflected in her results. They have reached well-deserved international fame, the
present homage being only one of the many thanks the academia owes to Mrta
Nagy for her services to history, art and Romanian culture.
on behalf of the editorial board,
ANA DUMITRAN

Doamna i Icoana
Nagy Mrta i arta post-bizantin din Ungaria
Inspirat de una dintre crile despre care va fi vorba la momentul potrivit, acest titlu
ncearc s surprind, ntr-o formul ct mai concentrat, chiar dac metaforic, relaia existent
ntre cele dou componente ale enunului: Doamna, o cercettoare eminent, profesoar universitar i veritabil pild de umanitate, i Icoana, imaginea sacr prin excelen, prototip autentic al

12

Ana Dumitran

Divinului, obiect al devoiunii i etalon al miestriei artistice. Dar pentru c cele dou entiti se
pot combina n orice timp i spaiu, e nevoie s precizm care Doamn i care Icoan constituie
subiectul ateniei noastre. Pentru a le conferi identitate, avem deci nevoie de un nume i de o
categorie artistic ct de ct delimitabil confesional i chiar etnic. Numele este Nagy Mrta, profesoar la Universitatea din Debrecen, bizantinolog i istoric de art, iar corespondenta de la cellalt capt al enunului este arta religioas a populaiilor ortodoxe din Ungaria. Desigur, am mai avea
nevoie i de un motiv pentru a le pune mpreun n paginile acestei reviste. El nu este greu de
gsit, ct vreme romnii din Ungaria, n general, i artitii romni activi n Ungaria, n special, au
fcut adeseori obiectul cercetrilor sale, iar printre acetia din urm gsim nume precum tefan
Tenechi, Gheorghe i Grigore Ranite, Stan din Rinari, care au dat capodopere deopotriv n
judeul Alba i pretutindeni unde au primit angajamente. Doar c creaia lor, pentru a putea fi
reconstituit la adevrata dimensiune, presupune s tii i ce se afl dincolo de graniele propriei
patrii. Or cercetrile Mrtei Nagy vin tocmai n ntmpinarea unui astfel de demers, dar, dei ele au
de mai multe decenii o amplitudine internaional, au rmas aproape necunoscute istoricilor romni. Acest neajuns ncearc s-l suplineasc prezentarea de fa, cu att mai mult cu ct opera sa
cuprinde i alte subiecte de interes comun, care vor fi subliniate pe parcurs, precum i activiti
care n mod obinuit sunt apanajul muzeelor, dar n care Nagy Mrta s-a implicat ca o adevrat
profesionist, cu rezultate dintre cele mai memorabile.
Odat justificat aceast opiune, o incursiune bio- i bibliografic devine ct se poate de
oportun.
Nagy Mrta s-a nscut n 25 februarie 1953 n Szolnok. ntre 1971-1976 a studiat istoria i
cultura Rusiei la Universitatea Jzsef Attila din Szeged. A activat mai nti ca muzeograf la
Muzeul de Istorie din Budapesta, iar din 1980 a fost cooptat n colectivul Institutului de Filologie
Slav al Universitii Kossuth Lajos din Debrecen, unde mai bine de un deceniu a predat cursuri
de cultur rus medieval. n 1981, sub coordonarea profesorului Kdr Zoltn, i-a susinut prima
tez de doctorat, dedicat reprezentrii timpului n pictura medieval rus de icoane. Cercetrile
sistematice referitoare la arta post-bizantin din Ungaria un domeniu aproape neexplorat le-a
nceput la mijlocul anilor 80. Printre primele subiecte abordate s-a aflat activitatea din Ungaria a
pictorului tefan Tenechi din Arad, cruia i-a dedicat un studiu monografic3 i pentru care a
manifestat o preocupare constant, revenind adeseori asupra creaiilor sale. n 1991 i-a susinut a
doua tez de doctorat, subiectul cercetrii constituindu-l iconostasele ortodoxe din Ungaria. n anul
2000 i-a prezentat teza de abilitare, referitoare la icoanele i iconostasele comunitilor greceti din
Ungaria. A fost invitat n mod repetat de universiti din Grecia i Germania pentru a susine
cursuri referitoare la arta diasporei greceti i a aprofunda cercetarea artei diasporei armene din
Transilvania. Din 2009 este membr n comisia de organizare a simpozionului anual internaional
Ni and Byzantium, precum i n comitetul editorial al periodicului tiinific cu acelai titlu, care a
avut 13 ediii pn n 2014. ncepnd din acest an face parte i din colegiul de redacie al revistei
Series Byzantina, care apare la Varovia.
Din 1991 Nagy Mrta este membr a consiliului de administraie al Academiei Ungare de
tiine i membr a Societii Ungare de Istoria Artei i Arheologie. n 1994, din iniiativa Mrtei
Nagy, la Universitatea din Debrecen a fost ntemeiat Departamentul de Istoria Artei, pe care l-a
condus pn n 2005 cnd, din motive financiare, a fuzionat cu cel de Filologie Clasic. n cadrul
acestui Departament, Nagy Mrta a organizat conferine naionale bianuale, devenite din 2003
internaionale, i a editat revista Postbiznci kzlemnyek. Studia Postbizantina Hungarica, cu
scopul de a racorda la cercetrile de bizantinologie domenii precum istoria, etnografia, bibliografia, religia, arta, muzica etc. Periodicul a nregistrat ase apariii, ntre 1994-2003.
3
Stefan Tenecki and the products of his workshop in Hungary, n
( ), 25, 1989, p. 191-200; Stefan Tenecki s mhelynek munki
Magyarorszgon, n Mvszettrtneti rtest (Budapest), 1-4, 1989, p. 89-99.

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

13

Studiul artefactelor i monumentelor a fost mereu nsoit de documentarea n arhive, pentru

a surprinde nu doar cine au fost artitii, fie ei arhiteci, sculptori sau pictori, ci i mobilitatea
populaiei, cadrul legislativ n care i s-a permis locuirea n Ungaria, specificitatea formelor de manifestare a identitii etnice i naionale. Reunind informaii din domenii att de diverse, Nagy
Mrta a fost prima i este nc singura cercettoare interesat de problema asimilrii culturale,
respectiv de conservarea identitii naionale prin art. Acest aspect al convieuirii ntr-un spaiu
multietnic i multiconfesional, ntr-un timp care s-a caracterizat prin manifestarea tot mai pregnant a spiritului naional, a cptat n opera Mrtei Nagy dimensiuni tot mai consistente, evolund
de la lucrri punctuale pe diverse probleme la adevrate monografii.
n 2008, o parte din studiile cu un astfel de coninut, nsoite de rezumate n limbile greac
i englez, au fost grupate n volumul A biznci ikontl a nyugati barokkig, subintitulat Tanulmnyok a magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszetrl (De la icoana bizantin la barocul
occidental. Studii despre arta bisericeasc a diasporei greceti din Ungaria). Regsim aici subiecte
precum: stabilirea negustorilor greci n teritoriul maghiar, edificarea bisericii greceti din Karcag,
icoana de pelerinaj a negustorului Hadzsi Demeter din Jszberny, tipuri de monumente funerare
ale grecilor din comitatul Jszkun, atelierul sculptorului Nicolaos Ioannou Talydoros (Mikls
Jankovicz) din Eger, asimilarea cultural a diasporei greceti, inclusiv reflectarea sa n producerea
de artefacte, condiiile n care a fost permis construirea bisericilor ortodoxe n secolul al XVIIIlea n Ungaria, apariia i dezvoltarea unor tipuri iconografice n pictura de icoane din Ungaria (Sf.
Elena cu ramur de palmier, Hristos Mare Arhiereu, Sf. Naum).
Celelalte cercetri au fost dezvoltate n lucrri monografice bogat ilustrate i nsoite de
rezumate ample n englez i n limbile grupurilor etnice care fac obiectul discuiei.
Prima la care am ales s ne referim este cartea publicat n 1994 sub titlul Ortodox falkpek
Magyarorszgon (Picturile murale ale ortodocilor din Ungaria), un album tiprit n condiii grafice
excelente, n care sunt reunite istoria comunitilor ortodoxe i a celor 71 de biserici care i deservesc i astzi pe descendenii emigranilor srbi, greci, romni i bulgari stabilii n Ungaria
ntre secolele XIV-XVIII. Descrierea detaliat a frescelor, realizate ntre 1765-1771 (cele mai
vechi, de la Rckeve) i 1987-1990 (cele mai noi, de la Mhkerk/ Micherechiu), cu trimitere la
arhitectura occidental care le adpostete, la biografia pictorilor care le-au realizat i la specificitatea stilistic spre care au tins n inevitabila adaptare a tradiiei bizantine la gustul epocii n
care au fost pictate, este o merituoas contribuie la arta naional a fiecreia dintre etniile enumerate. Partea cea mai mare a lucrrii este dedicat frescelor de la Rckeve, executate de un grup de
pictori greci i macedo-vlahi venii din Moschopolis, ansamblu unic n istoria artei post-bizantine
prin particularitile sale stilistice i ataamentul manifestat fa de tradiie ntr-o epoc dominat
de baroc. Contribuiile ca muralist ale lui tefan Tenechi de la Szentes (1786) i Bks (1791)
sunt discutate i ilustrate acum pentru prima dat, iar imaginea de la p. 69 a nlrii lui Iisus ni-l
face cunoscut pe artistul preferat al autoarei, cci cum altfel s-ar putea explica prezena acestei
scene, la dimensiuni miniaturale, i pe pagina de titlu a volumului?
A doua monografie, dedicat iconostasului ortodox din Ungaria (Ortodox ikonosztzionok
Magyarorszgon), publicat n 1994, descrie pentru prima dat n detaliu, cu referire deopotriv la
arhitectur, sculptur i pictur, toate cele 71 de ansambluri care mpodobesc lcaurile de cult ale
comunitilor srbe, macedo-vlahe, romneti i bulgare din Ungaria, realizate ntre 1720 i 1920
i mprite n mai multe grupuri stilistice. Nota dominant n execuia lor a fost dat de receptarea
influenelor baroce la nivelul ntregii arte post-bizantine din secolul al XVIII-lea i de necesitatea
adaptrii la norma care a impus, n Ungaria habsburgic, organizarea interiorului bisericilor conform tradiiei occidentale, chiar dac aparineau cultului rsritean. Creaiile lui tefan Tenechi de
la Bks, Bkscsaba i Szentes sunt amplu discutate i ilustrate n textul introductiv i sunt din
nou valorificate tiinific fragmentele de iconostas rmase de la Gheorghe Ranite i Nedelcu
Popovici, a cror activitate din Ungaria a devenit cunoscut tot datorit cercetrilor Mrtei Nagy4.
4

Prima referin a fost studiul intitulat Az esztergomi ortodox templom Apostol-frze, in Limes

14

Ana Dumitran

Dup un volum bilingv dedicat monumentelor greceti de art religioas din Ungaria,
publicat n 1996 ( / Grg
egyhzmvszeti emlkek Magyarorszgon), a urmat, n 1998, lucrarea mult mai cuprinztoare
intitulat A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszeti emlkei, I. Ikonok, ikonosztzionok.
Aceast carte reia, la o scar mult mai larg, discuia despre eforturile unui grup minoritar pentru
pstrarea identitii sale etnice n mijlocul comunitii religioase ortodoxe, la rndul ei minoritar n
Ungaria. De calitatea unei arte provinciale, chiar periferice, produsele artei greceti din Ungaria sunt
cu deosebire icoane, portabile sau componente ale iconostaselor. Cele mai vechi, databile n
secolul XVII, cnd populaia de etnie greac i macedo-vlah nu era format din sedentari, ci doar
din persoane aflate n tranzit, sunt piese de import, aparinnd n general atelierelor veneiene,
cretane sau athonite. De la nceputul secolului al XVIII-lea ele vor fi produse i n Ungaria, pn n
anii 1770 dominnd trei grupuri de pictori: Mitrofan i colaboratorii si, cercul din jurul lui
Hristofor Zefar i grupul lui Theodoros Simo de la Rckeve, format din pictori originari din
Moschopolis. Perioada de dup 1780 a fost foarte favorabil nfloririi artistice, ca urmare a
Edictului de toleran religioas al lui Iosif al II-lea, care le-a permis locuitorilor greci din Ungaria
s-i construiasc propriile biserici. n contextul acestui efort de edificare a nceput asimilarea
cultural, datorit apropierii de arta unei alte minoriti, cea srb. Primul i cel mai important
pictor de alt etnie angajat de greci a fost tefan Tenechi, urmat de Ioan Grabovan, Toma Vishanov,
Anton Kchelmeister, Pavel Djurkovics etc. Catalogul, cu ample descrieri nsoite de ilustraie albnegru, conine 88 de icoane portabile, 10 iconostase i 9 fragmente de iconostas. 40 dintre ele
beneficiaz, separat, i de ilustraie color. 38 dintre icoanele portabile aparin meterilor de la
Rckeve, alte 4 icoane i 2 iconostase fiind creaii ale lui tefan Tenechi. Aceasta este prima carte
care ofer descrieri detaliate i datri pentru icoanele comunitilor macedo-vlahe din Ungaria.
O alt lucrare bilingv (n maghiar i englez), aprut n dou ediii, prima publicat n
anul 2000, intitulat Iconfestszet Magyarorszgon/ Icon painting in Hungary, depete graniele
confesionale pn acum respectate, incluznd i arta greco-catolicilor din Ungaria. Motivaia a
oferit-o n primul rnd faptul c Ungaria este spaiul cu cea mai mare diversitate etnic a credincioilor de rit rsritean, cuprinznd comuniti de ortodoci srbi, romni, greci i bulgari i de
greco-catolici de limb maghiar (ruteni i romni la origine). Caracterul multietnic se regsete de
multe ori chiar la nivelul parohiilor, grupuri diferite etnic contribuind mpreun la edificarea bisericilor. Pstrarea identitii naionale s-a pus astfel, adeseori, la nivelul fiecrui individ, cptnd o
semnificaie special, reflectat mai ales n artefactele care ilustreaz devoiunea personal, chiar
i atunci cnd au fost angajai artiti aparinnd celorlalte etnii conlocuitoare. Din raiuni cel mai
adesea financiare, pictura mural fiind prea scump, icoana a avut pentru aceste comuniti o
importan sporit, care o face astzi interesant nu doar din punctul de vedere al istoriei artei, ci i
din cel al istoriei n general, al istoriei bisericeti i al istoriei culturii.
Cartea ofer o detaliat incursiune n istoria stabilirii ortodocilor n Ungaria, ncepnd din
secolul al XII-lea, cu referiri la diferitele locuri unde au funcionat biserici (cele mai multe distruse
n timpul rzboaielor cu turcii), la modul de organizare a caravanelor de negustori macedoneni
aflai n tranzit care, n timpul cltoriilor, se expuneau unui imens pericol, atenuat de apelul la
protecia icoanelor purtate cu sine, adeseori cumprate pe drum, de la srbi sau greci, i vndute
mai apoi pe traseu. Piesele de acest tip cunoscute, toate ilustrate alb-negru, sunt descrise n relaie
cu comunitile ortodoxe din locul unde s-au pstrat i care, uneori, au apelat chiar la pictori
chemai din rile lor de origine pentru a mpodobi lcaurile de cult pe care le aveau n folosin.
n paralel, de la mijlocul secolului al XVII-lea, n prile superioare ale Ungariei se manifest procesul de apropiere de Biserica Romano-Catolic a rutenilor i romnilor, care, dei unii,
vor mai rmne o vreme sub influena principiilor artei post-bizantine practicat n zon de aanumita coal carpatic, deja contaminat cu influene occidentale, care, cu timpul, vor transforma
I, 1991, p. 113-176.

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

15

icoana n tablou cu subiect religios, inclusiv tehnica suferind modificri n spiritul meteugului
practicat de pictorii contemporani din vestul Europei. Asimilarea metodelor i clieelor din pictura
occidental a avut ns o contribuie mult mai mic la dizolvarea rigiditii i hieratismului canonului bizantin ntr-o art de factur popular dect au avut lipsa de calificare i de experien i
naivitatea naturii umane. Aceste devieri de la sensul original al imaginii sfinte i nendemnarea
unora dintre pictori nu au mpiedicat totui producerea minunilor, cum s-a ntmplat cu icoana
Maicii Domnului de la Pcs, care, n urma lcrimrii din 1696, a devenit obiectul unei largi
devoiuni i un simbol al renaterii catolice n Ungaria.
Cu observaia c, datorit caracterului sedentar al populaiilor care au adoptat unirea cu
Roma, numrul icoanelor greco-catolice a fost mult mai mare dect al celor folosite de mediul
ortodox, autoarea revine la artefactele produse de i pentru acest mediu ncepnd din secolul al
XVIII-lea, cnd istoria sa a intrat ntr-o nou faz, prin stabilirea n Ungaria a unor importante
comuniti de srbi i negustori greci i acordarea unor privilegii care le-au asigurat o continu
nflorire numeric i economic. Volumul continu n aceeai manier de prezentare a produselor
artistice n relaie cu evoluia comunitilor care le-a comandat i folosit, oferind o imagine
detaliat a vieii lor politice, sociale, economice i culturale, care s-a coagulat mai nti n jurul
vechilor biserici sau a unor capele, iar din ultimele decenii ale secolului al XVIII-lea n jurul unor
biserici cel mai adesea prospere, la a cror mpodobire au contribuit civa dintre cei mai faimoi
artiti ai timpului. Printre ei regsim nume familiare: Gheorghe Ranite, Nedelcu Popovici i, desigur,
tefan Tenechi, care a fost angajat deopotriv de srbii (Pesta, circa 1760), grecii (Bks, Szentes,
circa 1785) i romnii (Bkscsaba, 1789) din Ungaria.
Situarea grecilor i romnilor sub jurisdicia ecleziastic a diecezelor srbe, dar i autoritatea moral i social a srbilor ca cea mai veche, mai numeroas i mai privilegiat minoritate
ortodox din Ungaria le-au asigurat acestora nu numai condiiile propice pentru dezvoltarea unei
arte care a devenit reprezentativ chiar i pentru patria de origine, ci i un ascendent asupra
celorlalte minoriti ortodoxe, cu tendine de asimilare cultural la ceea ce istoricii au definit ca
baroc srbesc.
Volumul se ncheie cu 26 de plane color, n care sunt ilustrate 27 de icoane, reprezentative
pentru toate epocile, stilurile i minoritile etnice discutate. Lucrarea a rmas unic pn astzi prin
propunerea de a discuta mpreun arta religioas a comunitilor ortodoxe i greco-catolice din
Ungaria.
Ultima monografie, aprut n 2012, este dedicat cultului Sfntului Naum de Ohrida n
Ungaria ca form de conservare a identitii etnice (Ohridi Szent Naum magyarorszgi kultusza
mint az etnikai identits megrzsnek megnyilatkozsa)5. Prin publicarea crii i organizarea
tot sub coordonarea Mrtei Nagy a unei impresionante expoziii i a unui simpozion internaional
a fost marcat, ntr-un mod inedit la nivel mondial, mplinirea, n 2010, a 1100 de ani de la
moartea Sfntului. Acest volum, admirabil ilustrat, cu o nfiare elegant i o calitate tipografic
ireproabil, este una dintre marile reuite ale autoarei, care i-a desvrit astfel o tem drag, la
care a ostenit aproape un deceniu6. De asemenea, n continuarea preocu-prilor deja subliniate,
cartea este o remarcabil pledoarie i un veritabil exerciiu de metod de-spre cum ar putea fi
studiate diversele aspecte ale identitii de grup ntr-un spaiu multietnic i multi-confesional.
Venerarea Sfntului Naum a fost una din formele de exteriorizare etnic a macedo-vlahilor
emigrai din regiunea Ohridei n Ungaria pe parcursul secolului XVIII, ataamentul fa de acest
sfnt naional fiind exprimat n frecvena alegerii sale ca patron al bisericilor, n frecvena
folosirii numelui su la botez i, mai ales, n frecvena alegerii sale ca subiect al creaiilor artistice.
5

Pentru care vezi i seciunea Recenzii a acestui volum. Cartea a mai fost semnalat cercettorilor
romni de revista Ars Transsilvaniae, XII, 2012, p. 188-191.
6
Prima abordare a fost prezentat n 2005 la cea de-a IV-a ediie a simpozionului internaional
Ni and Byzantium.

16

Ana Dumitran

Nagy Mrta a identificat 42 de reprezentri, care au fost mprite n patru categorii: icoane, pictur
mural, gravuri i picturi n ulei.
Dintre icoane, cele mai multe aparin grupului de pictori stabilii la Rckeve, originari din
Moschopolis, care l-au prezentat cel mai adesea pe sfnt ca patronul lor, puterea sa protectoare n
patria de origine extinzndu-se astfel i asupra emigranilor. Gravurile aparin cu deosebire maestrului Hristofor Zefar, fiind executate ca urmare a unor comenzi venite din Ungaria. Acestea l prezint pe Naum ca sfnt protector al mnstirii pe care a ntemeiat-o pe malul lacului Ohrid, nconjurat de scene asemenea unor vedute, care combin secvene de hagiografie cu legende populare i
anecdote, i substituindu-se chiar propriilor sale relicve, deoarece este redat cu o mn uscat asemenea moatelor. Prin acest detaliu, gravurile lui Zefar puteau deveni ele nsele obiect al devoiunii,
nlocuind pelerinajul la moatele cele adevrate. Cele dou tipuri de prezentare au determinat, n
Ungaria, trsturi particulare de manifestare a cultului, prin care a putut fi realizat o interconexiune ntre patria de origine i cea de adopie. Aceast interconexiune s-a accentuat odat cu
punerea n circulaie a reprezentrilor realizate n manier occidental, sfntul de acas fiind pictat
(i) ntr-o ipostaz nou, care atest un anume grad de asimilare la ambiana vestic, niciodat ns
dus pn la capt, deoarece inscripiile au rmas mereu n limba greac (doar n dou situaii fiind
scrise cu caractere chirilice), amintind astfel de patria de origine. Cultul Sfntului Naum s-a dovedit
deci un eficient mijloc de conservare a identitii naionale pentru macedo-vlahii din Ungaria, ca
form de ataament fa de limba (de cultur) i religia strmoilor i ca exemplu despre cum au
neles ei s amne inevitabilul proces de asimilare la care sunt expuse minoritile.
Deoarece Nagy Mrta nu a privit pictarea de icoane doar ca pe un meteug conectat la
principiile estetice ale unui stil sau altul, ci a considerat-o ca fiind n primul rnd teologie i crez,
i pentru c acestea se pot manifesta i intuitiv, involuntar, cercetarea ei nu s-a oprit la produsele
artistice ale veacurilor anterioare. Se poate spune chiar c expoziia pe care a organizat-o n 2009
la Galeria de Art din Kecskemt (Palatul Cifra), n contextul aniversrii Sfntului Naum, a fost un
adevrat experiment, prin provocarea adresat pictorilor contemporani de a crea icoane. Dar cea
mai interesant, i mai solicitant n acelai timp, a fost confruntarea cu lucrrile maestrului neoavangardist Aknay Jnos, adeseori intitulate icoane sau interpretate ca atare de criticii i biografii
si. Importana pe care a acordat-o acestui demers este dovedit de publicarea bilingv, n
maghiar i englez, a crii pe care i-a dedicat-o n 2013, Aknay s az Ikon / Aknay and the Icon,
n paralel cu expoziia pe care a ngrijit-o, gzduit iniial de Muzeul Episcopal din Szentendre i,
din ianuarie 2014, de Galeria de Art din Kecskemt. Acest volum referitor la legtura dintre
pictura de icoane i arta contemporan, precum i expoziiile, sunt rezultate organice ale cercetrilor dedicate de Nagy Mrta artei medievale i premoderne, ale explorrii sale asupra modului
cum motenirea artistic a minoritii ortodoxe este preluat astzi de pictura majoritii catolice,
dezvoltndu-se i pstrndu-i n acelai timp caracteristicile. Prin acest demers, Nagy Mrta a
oferit opinia sa, una dintre multele posibile, dar extrem de bine documentat, despre relaia dintre
tablourile suprarealiste ale lui Aknay Jnos i motenirea iconic depozitat n Szentendre, oraul
su de reedin, o motenire care a marcat profund activitatea multora dintre artitii stabilii n
acest focar al culturii i artei srbe.
Definind influena icoanei ca abilitate de a reda permanena lucrurilor, prin forme simple,
reduse la esen, fundal abstract, figuri meditative vzute ntr-o frontalitate rigid, folosirea simbolurilor i a perspectivei calculate, Nagy Mrta gsete n creaia lui Aknay Jnos numeroase
exemple care i ofer ocazia unei veritabile evadri n angelologie, reuind, cu un rafinament
nedisimulat, s identifice sursele i interpretrile posibil nu toate cunoscute artistului pentru
reprezentrile sale abstracte de ngeri, sfini i chiar portrete. i totui, n ciuda iconicitii acestor
reprezentri, picturile lui Aknay Jnos nu sunt acceptate ca icoane moderne, fiind considerate
doar lucrri asemntoare icoanelor, cu esen iconic, aflate la ntretierea ntre constructivismul
liric-suprarealist, ngerul ca subiect i credina n Dumnezeu a autorului.
De o remarcabil acuratee i rigoare tiinific i admirabil ilustrate, indiferent dac au fost
materializate n expoziii sau cri, cercetrile Mrtei Nagy impresioneaz prin profunzimea anali-

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

17

zei, diversitatea unghiurilor din care i surprinde subiectele i dimensiunea interdisciplinar a

restituirilor. Profesionismul abordrii a fcut ca amploarea transfrontalier a fenomenelor artistice
i culturale studiate s se rsfrng, recunosctoare, asupra operei rezultate, conferindu-i un binemeritat ecou internaional, n care se nscrie i aceast tentativ de omagiere pentru serviciile aduse
istoriei, artei i culturii romneti.

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
I. Books
1. Grgk a Jszkunsgban, Karcagi Gyrffy Istvn Nagykun Mzeum Kecskemti
Szenthromsg Magyar Ortodox Egyhzkzsg, Karcag, 1988
2. Grgk a Tiszntlon. Tiszntli grg kereskedk kulturlis emlkei, Koszta
Jzsef Mzeum Szentes Kecskemt Vros Tancsa Kecskemti Szenthromsg
Magyar Orthodox Egyhzkzsg, Szentes, 1988
3. Ortodox falkpek Magyarorszgon, Dunaknyv, Budapest, 1994
4. Ortodox ikonosztzionok Magyarorszgon, Magnkiads, Debrecen, 1994
5. / Grg egyhzmvszeti emlkek Magyarorszgon, Orszgos Grg nkormnyzat, Budapest, 1996
6. A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszeti emlkei I. Ikonok, ikonosztzionok, Kossuth Egyetemi Kiad, Debrecen, 1998
7. Ikonfestszet Magyarorszgon/ Icon Painting in Hungary, Kossuth Egyetemi
Kiad, Debrecen, 2000; 2nd edition, Kossuth Egyetemi Kiad, Debrecen, 2003
8. A biznci ikontl a nyugati barokkig. Tanulmnyok a magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszetrl, Zugli Grg nkormnyzat, Budapest, 2006; 2nd edition,
Debreceni Egyetem Kossuth Egyetemi Kiadja, Debrecen, 2008
9. Ohridi Szent Naum magyarorszgi kultusza, mint az etnikai identits megrzsnek
megnyilatkozsa, Balassi Kiad Debreceni Egyetemi Kiad, Budapest Debrecen,
2012
10. Aknay s az ikon / Aknay and the Icon, Balassi Kiad, Budapest, 2013
II. Book chapters, prefaces
1. A pastell / The pastell, Debreceni Pastellfestk Egyeslete, Debrecen, 2004, p. 2-7
2. Ortodox egyhzmvszet Magyarorszgon, in A keleti keresztnysg Magyarorszgon, Lucidus Kiad, Budapest, 2007, p. 101-133
3. p,
, in , , , , 2007, p.
326-345
4. Rvid trtneti ttekints, in M. Gyrffy Anik, Ikonfests, CSER Kiad, Budapest,
2008, p. 5-8
5. Emberek, emlkek, rnyak, in Dmtr Mihly, Szrt fnyben. Emberek, trgyak,
fnyek, rnyak, Mzeumi Tudomnyrt Alaptvny, Hdmezvsrhely, 2010, p. 13-14

Ana Dumitran

18
III. Studies

1. Nzzk meg egytt Andrej Rubljov Troicjt, in Mvszet 11, 1977, p. 31-33
2. Ikon vagy fra festett szentkp? Gondolatok Szent Mikls XVII. szzadi hagiografikus ikonjnak rgyn, in Mvszet 3, 1982, p. 36-39
3. Die auf den Ikonen dargestellte Zeit (Geschichtlichkeit und berzeitlickeit), in
Slavica 19, 1983, p. 39-51
4. Schner Mihly: Golgota, in Mvszet 9, 1984, p. 20-21
5. Tr-id viszonyok a moszkvai Blagovescsenszkij-szkesegyhz ikonosztznak
ikonjain, in Mvszet 5, 1984, p. 30-34
6. Ausgewahlte Bibliographie von Zoltn Kdr, in Acta Classica Universitatis Scientiarum Debreceniensis XXII, 1986, p. 11-20
7. Borisz s Gleb az letket brzol jelenetekkel, in Mvszet 2, 1987, p. 41-43
8. The Iconostasion of Greek Orthodox Church in Karcag, in Balkan Studies 28(2),
1987, p. 237-258
9. A karcagi grg templom ikonosztzionja, in Zounuk 3, 1988, p. 21-50
10. Stefan Tenecki and the products of his workshop in Hungary, in
25, 1989, p. 191-200
11. Stefan Tenecki s mhelynek munki Magyarorszgon, in Mvszettrtneti rtest XXXIX, 1989, p. 89-99
12. (Jankovicz Mikls) ca 1750-1817 and his woodcarver's workshop in Eger, in Balkan Studies 30(1), 1989, p. 43-66
13. (Jankovicz Mikls) kb. 1750-1817 fafarag mester
egri mhelye, in Zounuk 5, 1990, p. 9-25
14. Az esztergomi ortodox templom Apostol-frze, in Limes I, 1991, p. 113-176
15. Baroque iconostasions in Hungary in the 18th century, in
. a 10. 13.
o 1989. . LIX, , 1991,
p. 85-93
16. Grg feliratos ikonosztzionok s ikonosztzion-tredkek Magyarorszgon, in
Zounuk 6, 1991, p. 113-176
17. Georgiosz zograf ikonjai a komromi szerb templomban, in Limes 4, 1992, p. 1928
18. Jszkunsgi grg srkformk, in Zounuk 7, 1992, p. 87-98
19. Nyugati hatsok a XVIII. szzadi magyarorszgi orthodox ikonosztzionok ikonogrfijban, in Egyhzak a vltoz vilgban, Komrom-Esztergom Megye nkormnyzata - Jzsef Attila Megyei Knyvtr, Tatabnya, 1992, p. 223-227
20. A karcagi Szent Gyrgy-templom epitfiosza s zszli, in Zounuk 8, 1993, p. 45-59
21. Tiszntli grgkeleti kpfalpt s fafarag mhely a 19. szzadbl, in Hodinka
Antal Emlkknyv. Bessenyei Gyrgy Tanrkpz Fiskola Ukrn s Ruszin Filolgiai
Tanszke Szent Athanas Grg Katolikus Hittudomnyi Fiskola Nyelvi Tanszke,
Nyregyhza, 1993, p. 349-354
22. Balkni Madonna a Jszsgban, in Zounuk 9, 1994, p. 299-309
23. Hagyomnyos elemek a magyarorszgi ortodox templomptszetben, in Posztbiznci Kzlemnyek/ Studia Postbizantina Hungarica I, 1994, p. 31-45

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

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24. A magyarorszgi ortodox ikonfestszet barokk elemeinek gykerei, in Limes 3,

1995, p. 115-125
25. A rckevei festmhely grg feliratos ikonjai, in Posztbiznci Kzlemnyek/
Studia Postbizantina Hungarica III, 1997, p. 132-145
26. Iconostasul bisericii Sf. Nicolae din Apateu, in Lumina. Revist social, cultural
i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n 1894, 2002, p. 24-25
27. Szent Naum alakjnak ikonogrfija rckevei fest hagiografikus ikonjn, in
/ Szab Klmn Emlkknyv, Grg Orszgos nkormnyzat, Budapest, 2000, p. 133-138
28. Krisztus, a nagy Fpap ikonogrfiai tpus magyarorszgi megjelensrl, in
Posztbiznci Kzlemnyek/ Studia Postbizantina Hungarica V, 2002, p. 138-147
29. Structura spaiului n bisericile romneti din Ungaria, in Lumina. Revist social,
cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n 1894, 2003,
p. 40-44
30. The Appearance of the Iconographic Type of Christ, the Great prelate in Hungary, in Posztbiznci Kzlemnyek/ Studia Postbizantina Hungarica VI, 2003, p. 109-119
31. A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra ikonfestszete a Sink korban, in A Sina csald
Magyarorszgon, (Gdlli Mzeumi Fzetek, 6.), Gdlli Vrosi Mzeum, Gdll,
2004, p. 21-29
32. Asszimilcis utak a magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszetben, in
Debreceni Dri Mzeum vknyve LXXVIII, 2004, p. 251-260
33. Ci de asimilare n arta bisericeasc a diasporei greceti din Ungaria, in Dilema
Europei Centrale: Convieuire sau coexisten, Colecia Minoriti 6, Complexul Muzeal
Arad, Arad, 2005, p. 310-327
34. Despre operele din Ungaria de Sud ale unui atelier ardean de iconostase i
sculptur, in Lumina. Revist social, cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria.
Fondat de David Voniga n 1894, 2004, p. 21-26
35. Ortodox templomptszet a 18. szzadi Magyarorszgon, in Magyar Egyhztrtneti Vzlatok 17 (3-4), 2005, p. 121-133
36. Saint Helen with a palm in metabyzantine art, in / Ni & Byzantium, III, , , 2005, p.
359-368
37. Sfnta Elena cu ramur de palmier n pictura post-bizantin, in Lumina. Revist
social, cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n
1894, 2005, p. 23-28
38. Szent Helna plmaggal a metabiznci ikonfestszetben, in Magyar Egyhztrtnet Vzlatok 17 (1-2), 2005, p. 41-50
39. Tema ncoronrii Maicii Domnului aspecte iconografice, in Lumina. Revist
social, cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n
1894, 2006, p. 15-19
40. A magyarorszgi macedovlachok regionlis tudata a malkotsok tkrben, in
Magyar Egyhztrtneti Vzlatok 18 (3-4), 2006, p. 95-105
41. Architectura ecleziastic ortodox din Ungaria din secolul al XVIII-lea. Pstrarea
tradiiilor n mediu strin, in Multiculturalism i identitate etnic n Europa, Colecia
Minoriti 7, Complexul Muzeal Arad, Arad, 2006, p. 274-294

20

Ana Dumitran

42. Demeter Hadzsi's Proskynetarion in Jszberny, in Series Byzantina IV, Neriton,

Warszawa, 2006, p. 39-55
43. Hadzsi Demeter proskynetrionja Jszbernyben, in Tisicum XV, 2006, p. 147-155
44. Szent Istvn ereklyetart ikonja a budapesti Nagyboldogasszony-templomban, in
Theolgiai Szemle XLIX (3), 2006, p. 172-175
45. The iconography of Saint Naum in the icons of the workshop of Rckeve, in
/ Ni & Byzantium, IV, A
, , 2006, p. 325-342
46. A magyarorszgi macedovlachok regionlis tudata a malkotsok tkrben, in
Regiuni, etnii i identiti regionale, Colecia Minoriti 8, Complexul Muzeal Arad, Arad,
2007, p. 50-65
47. Iconostasul Bisericii Naterea Maicii Domnului din Bichi, in Lumina. Revist
social, cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n
1894, 2007, p. 19-21
48. Jszsgi grg keresked szentfldi zarndoklata s zarndokikonja a XVIII.
szzadbl, in Npi vallsossg a Krpt-medencben, Veszprm Sepsiszentgyrgy,
2006, p. 425-433
49. Magyar Mzes, az ortodox egyhz szentje, in Magyar Sion I (2), 2007, p. 189-193
50. Mennyorszg-brzols a Codex Vaticanus Armenus 32. szm ktetben, in rmny diaszpra a Krpt-medencben, Piliscsaba, 2006, p. 11-17
51. Szent Naum ikonogrfija a rckevei festcsoport ikonjain, in A bulgarisztika ma.
Eredmnyek s tvlatok. Opera Slavica Budapestinensia. Symposia Slavica, ELTE BTK
Szlv Filolgiai Tanszk, Budapest, 2007, p. 128-145
52. A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra ikonhasznlata, in Szent mvszet s az ikon,
Szlv Trtneti s Filolgiai Trsasg Orosz Trtneti Szekcija, Szombathely, 2007, p.
198-208
53. Descrierea Raiului n volumul 32 din Codex Vaticanus Armenus, in Europa identitilor, Colecia Minoriti 9, Complexul Muzeal Arad, Arad, 2008, p. 43-54
54. Frescele bisericii Sfinii Arhangheli Mihail i Gavril din Micherechi, in Lumina.
Revist social, cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David
Voniga n 1894, 2008, p. 29-35
55. National Self-Preservation in 18th Century Serbian Church Architecture in
Hungary, in Centropa (New York) 8/3, 2008, p. 134-146
56. Cutarea identitii n pictura contemporan de icoane din Ungaria, in Integrare,
autonomie i dialog intercultural, Colecia Minoriti 10, Complexul Muzeal Arad, Arad,
2009, p. 89-105
57. Krisztus, a nagy Fpap ikonogrfiai tpus magyarorszgi megjelensrl, in
Deliberationes II (2), 2009, p. 133-141
58.
, in Series Byzantina VII, Warszawa, 2009. p. 141-148
59. p / Toma Visanov kre Magyarorszgon,
in / Haemus 3 (1), 2009, p. 10-18
60. ( XVIII
)/ Toma Visanov kre Magyarorszgon (Bolgr ikonfestk a XVIII. szzadi

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

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Magyarorszgon, in / Toma Visanov s kora. Bolgr

Kulturlis Frum, Budapest, 2008, p. 39-55
61. A nemzeti nmegtarts tjai a 18. szzadi magyarorszgi szerb templomptszetben, in Magyar Sion IV, 2010, p. 53-73
62. Rspnditorii cultului Sfntului Naum n Ungaria, in Lumina. Revist social,
cultural i tiinific a Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n 1894, 2010,
p. 15-30
63. The Iconography and Iconology of Hristofor Zefar's Saint Nahum depictions, in
/ Ni & Byzantium, IX, y
y p, , 2011, p. 415-426
64. Toma Visanov kre Magyarorszgon, in Napt. Irodalom Mvszet Krnyezet XIII
(9), 2011, p. 58-65
65. Hagyomny s hatsok Huszt jrs fatemplomainak architektrjban, in Nprajzi
Lthatr 21 (1), 2012, p. 46-58
66. Hommage a Lucien Herv, in Ars Judaica: The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art 8,
2012, p. 137-142
67. Expression of Ethnic Identity and Affiliation in the Donation Practices of MacedoVlachs Living in the Hungarian Kingdom, in Economy and Society in Central and
Eastern Europe: Territory, Population, Consumption, LIT Verlag, Mnster, 2013, p.
137-147
68. Iconic Representation of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, in Apulum L, series Historia
& Patrimonium, 2013, p. 131-148
69. The representation of Saint Constantine and Saint Helen with the cross in 19thcentury engrawings from Athos, in / Ni & Byzantium,
XI, y y
p, , 2013, p. 345-354
70. Depiction of an Armenian Saint in Catholic and Orthodox Environment, in Die
Kunst der Armenier im stlichen Europa (Armenier im stlichen Europa Armenians in
Eastern Europe, 2.), Bhlau Verlag, Kln Weimar Wien, 2014, p. 180-190
71. rmny szent megjelentsei katolikus s ortodox kzegben, in Lelkisgek, lelkisgi
mozgalmak Magyarorszgon s Kelet-Kzp Eurpban/ Spirituality and spiritual
movements in Hungary and Eastern Central Europe, SZTE Nprajzi s Kulturlis
Antropolgiai Tanszk, Szeged, 2014, p. 269-281
72. A proskynetarion, mint etnikai identitst rz devcis trgy, in A Krpt-medence,
a magyarsg s Biznc / The Carpathian Basin, the Hungarians and Byzantium, SZTE
Bizantinolgiai s Kzplatin Filolgiai Tanszki Csoport, Szeged, 2014, p. 171-185
IV. Scientific educational articles
1. /A magyarorszgi
grg diaszpra egyhzmvszeti emlkei, in K 1-2, 1995, p. 58-71
2. / A liturgirl, in K 3-4, 1996, p. 88-93
3. / Az ortodox egyhz kpesknyvei, in K 2, 1996, p. 32-37

Ana Dumitran

22

4. / Npies hzioltrok, in K 1, 1996, p. 36-41

5. Tokaj/ Grg kereskedhz Tokajban, in K 1, 1997,
p. 28-31
6. / Grg templom Beloianniszban, in
K 2, 1997, p. 44-51
7. A magyarorszgi grg diaszpra egyhzmvszeti emlkei, in Bartsg 3, 1998, p.
2116-2117
8. Gondolatok a kprl, in Debrecen 3, 2000. prilis 3, p. 3
9. Ortodox egyhzmvszet a XX. szzadi Magyarorszgon, in j Ember, 2005. jlius
10, p. 11
10. Ikon s kp. Killts a szentendrei Szerb Egyhzmvszeti Mzeumban, in j
Ember, 2005. augusztus 7, p. 11
11. Szent Istvn ereklyetart ikonja az ortodox szkesegyhzban, in j Ember, 2005.
oktber 2, p. 9
12. Krisztus alszllsa a pokolra: A keleti keresztnysg hsvt-ikonja, in j Ember,
2006. prilis 30, p. 7
13. Mennyorszg-brzols a Codex Vaticanus Armenus 32. szm ktetben, in
Erdlyi rmny Gykerek Fzetek. Fvrosi rmny Klub Idszaki Kiadvny X, 2006,
p. 51-55
14. Kortrs ikonfestszet Magyarorszgon, in j Ember, 2009. november 1, p. 11
V. Dictionary entries
1. Grg egyhzmvszet Magyarorszgon, in Magyar Katolikus Lexikon IV, Szent
Istvn Trsulat, Budapest, 1998, p. 174-178
2. Ortodox egyhzmvszet, in Magyar Katolikus Lexikon IV, Szent Istvn Trsulat,
Budapest, 1998, p. 238-240
3. Grgk, in Magyar Mveldstrtneti Lexikon III, Balassi Kiad, Budapest,
2005, p. 331-334
4. Ikon, in Magyar mveldstrtneti lexikon IV, Balassi Kiad, Budapest, 2005, p.
258-26
5. Ikonosztzion, in Magyar mveldstrtneti lexikon IV, Balassi Kiad, Budapest,
2005, p. 265-268
6. Ortodox egyhzmvszet Magyarorszgon, in Magyar Katolikus Lexikon X, Szent
Istvn Trsulat, Budapest, 2005, p. 240
7. Ortodox, in Magyar Mveldstrtneti Lexikon VIII, Balassi Kiad, Budapest,
2008, p. 352
8. Ortodox egyhzmvszet Magyarorszgon, in Magyar Mveldstrtneti Lexikon
VIII, Balassi Kiad, Budapest, 2008, p. 352-362
9. Szerb egyhzmvszet, in Magyar Katolikus Lexikon XIII, Szent Istvn Trsulat,
Budapest, 2008, p. 1999-200
10. Szerb egyhzmvszet Magyarorszgon, in Magyar Katolikus Lexikon XIII, Szent
Istvn Trsulat, Budapest, 2008, p. 200-204
11. Szerbek, in Magyar Mveldstrtneti Lexikon XI, Balassi Kiad, Budapest,
2011, p. 159-166

Mrta Nagy and the Post-Byzantine Art of Hungary

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12. Zavrasz (Zabira) Gyrgy, in Magyar Mveldstrtneti Lexikon XIII, Balassi

Kiad, Budapest, 2012, p. 85-87
VI. Editing
Posztbiznci Kzlemnyek / Studia Postbizantina Hungarica: I, 1994, p. 1-163; II,
1995, p. 1-193; III, 1997, p. 1-229; IV, 1999, A nyregyhzi Szent Gyrgy magyar
ortodox egyhzkzsg knyvllomnynak katalgusa, p. 1-221; V, 2002, p. 1-173; VI,
2003, p. 1-120
VII. Exhibition catalogues, exhibition opening speeches
1. Beksznt. Debreceni Tavaszi Trlat, Killtsi katalgus. Debreceni Kulturlis s
Fesztivlkzpont, Debrecen, 2003, p. 1-2
2. Nzpont. XV. Tavaszi Trlat, Killtsi katalgus. Fnix Rendezvnyszervez Kht,
Debrecen, 2006, p. 3-5
3. / Toma Visanov s kre Magyarorszgon, Killtsi katalgus. Bolgr Kulturlis Frum, Budapest, 2008, p. 6-12
4. A lublini Szenthromsg-kpolna. Killts-megnyit a debreceni Dri Mzeumban,
in Debreceni Dri Mzeum vknyve LXXXI, 2009, p. 335-336
5. Pictarea icoanelor din zilele noastre n Ungaria Expoziie la Cifra Palota din
Kecskemt (19-25 septembrie 2009), in Lumina. Revist social, cultural i tiinific a
Romnilor din Ungaria. Fondat de David Voniga n 1894, 2009, p. 31-34
6. Harcos szentek a szerb fpapok arckpcsarnokban. Killts-megnyit a pesti
Tklynumban 2010. mjus 6., in Athanasiana 31, 2010, p. 247-253
7. / Toma Vishanov and his school in
Hungary, in e p XVIII / Toma Vishanov and his circle in Hungary during the 18th century. .
, , 2010, p. 8-15
8. Szekeres Erzsbet textilmvsz: rpd-hzi szentjeink Szvtt falikpek (essz egy
killts el), in Polisz: A Jzsef Attila Kr Folyirata 146, 2012, p. 95-96
VIII. Translations
1. Valentin Bulkin, Gyionyiszij, Corvina Aurra, Budapest Leningrd, 1982
2. Viktor Lazarev, A moszkvai ikonfest iskola, Nagy Mrta, Sznt Andrs Gbor,
Corvina, Budapest, 1983
IX. Reviews
1. A szintzis problmja napjainkban. Tudsts a Szovjet Kpzmvszek Szvetsge
s a Szovjet ptmvszek Szvetsge Elnksgeinek kzs lsrl, in Mvszet 11,
1977, p. 11-23

Ana Dumitran

24

2. Tilab Mahmudov: A mai zbg kpzmvszet, in Mvszet 7, 1979, p. 38-41

3. Vaszilijev, A. Szilijanovszka,-Novikova, T. Trufesev, N. Ljubenova, I.: A
bolgr kszobrszat, in Mvszet 2, 1979, p. 40-41
4. I: Io i ii. i Kiad, i, in Ahanasiana 31, 2009,
p. 293-294
5. Csnyi Viktor Svity Lzrn Vukoszvlyev Zorn: A hdmezvsrhelyi ortodox kzssg s templom rvid trtnete, in Memlkvdelem 1, LVIII. 2014, p. 62-63
X. Publischers readings
1. dr. Nagy Mrta, dr. Ger Lszl, Szalai Attila: Hagymakupolk. Kzpkori orosz
templomok, Dunaknyv Kiad, Budapest, 1995
2. Kernyi B. Eszter: Az arany ember. A gdlli kastly grg ura: Sina Gyrgy s
fia, Sina Simon, Gdlli Vrosi Mzeum, Gdll, 2003
3. M. Gyrffy Anik: Ikonfests, CSER Kiad, Budapest, 2009
4. Csnyi Viktor Svity Lzrn Vukoszvlyev Zorn: A hdmezvsrhelyi
ortodox kzssg s templom rvid trtnete/ The brief history of the orthodox community and church in Hdmezvsrhely/
Hdmezvsrhely/
, Hdmezvsrhely Megyei Jog Vros nkormnyzata, Hdmezvsrhely, 2012