Sigismundus Rex et Imperator. Kunst und Kultur ... - PATZINAKIA

Studia Patzinaka, 3, 2006, pp. 73-75
REVIEW
Sigismundus Rex et Imperator.
Kunst und Kultur zur Zeit
Sigismunds von Luxemburg, 1387-
1437: Ausstellungskatalog.
Imre Takács ed.
Mainz
Philipp von Zabern
2006
733p.
It has been said that nowadays, in order for a cultural project to succeed, it
has to be big. Well, this is surely the case with the Sigismundus project. The
Sigismundus. Art and Culture in the Time of Sigismund of Luxemburg
(1387-1437) took around ten years to be achieved. The entire effort was
supported by the Hungarian and Luxembourg heads of states, it received
funds from the respective governments and had the blessing of high church
officials. The project mainly consisted of an international conference
(Luxembourg, June 2005), an extensive international exhibition displayed
both in Budapest (Museum of Fine Arts, March-June 2006) and Luxembourg
(National Art History Museum, July-October 2006) and of a series of
publications in a number of languages. But it also involved several
restoration works (like the bust reliquary of St. Ladislas or several sculptures
from the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu), loans from Museums in
twenty countries and the creation of a website containing all the details and
an index of the items in the exhibition, with good quality images (see:
www.sigismundus.hu).
The publications related to this project display the same luxurious
characteristics. The first is the Sigismundus Rex et Imperator. Kunst und Kultur
Sigismunds von Luxemburg, 1387-1437 Edited by Imre Takács and published
at Mainz (Philipp von Zabern, 2006). This is an exhibition catalogue,
comprising over 700 pages and 1000 high quality reproductions. It is
available in German, Hungarian and French editions. Another publication
related to the project is the collection of papers presented at the conference
in Luxembourg: Sigismund von Luxemburg: Ein Kaiser in Europa edited
by Michel Pauly, François Reinert (Mainz: Philipp von Zabern, 2006). The
articles are in German, English and French, occupying nearly 400 pages,
accompanied by the same exquisite illustrations. There is also a „just“ 100page
long exhibition guide published in Hungarian, English, German,

REVIEW
French and Slovakian versions: Sigismund of Luxemburg: Art and Culture
1387-1437 edited by Ágnes Körber (Budapest: Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, 2006).
The most extensive is the exhibition catalogue. This follows the structure of
the exhibition itself, being therefore divided into seven thematic sections.
The opening extra-category is a prologue referring to the general historical
background, including chronologies, genealogies and maps, with
documentary sources as part of the catalogue. The first theme refers to the
Angevin inheritance, that is the artistic peak accomplishments in late
Angevin Hungary, the catalogue section including art and architectural
entries. The second theme concentrates on the figure of Sigismund,
presenting, both in the articles and in the catalogue entries, items depicting
the emperor. Equally specific is the third theme that groups numismatic and
sigillographic evidence. A more general and extensive overview is grouped
under the fourth title: The World of the Knights of the Dragon. This presents
Sigismund as patron of the arts, describing his residences in Buda and
Pressburg (Pozsony, Bratislava), churches he had built, the arts (sculpture,
wall painting, manuscript illumination, stove tiles, applied arts especially
metalwork) and items related to the Order of the Dragon. The fifth theme
touches more on the international events and connections, concentrating on
Sigismund as political leader. Referring to the historical period just after the
death of the emperor, the sixth part presents the cathedral of Várad, his
burial place, and the later effigies of his successors. The seventh and final
unit of the catalogue is dedicated to the international gothic style of the era,
illustrated through notorious examples from all kinds of artistic fields. The
book closes with an extensive bibliography common to all articles and items,
and an index of names and places.
As one can easily see, the entire volume is unbalanced towards
Sigismund as Hungarian king rather than Sigismund as Holy Roman
emperor. In this sense, it is visible that the initiative belonged to a group of
Hungarian scholars who tried to make better known the artistic and
historical heritage of East-Central Europe. Which is, in a sense good,
considering the ongoing general des-equilibrium in the availability of
information in the international scholarly world, clearly leaning more
towards the western part of Europe. On the other hand the over-all image
does not fully correspond to the title, which, for the sake of exactness,
should have been: Sigismundus Rex Hungariae (et imperator). But the cultural
integration of the new or future members of the European Union was clearly
an important political element in the success of the project. It is also good to
see that among the authors one can find not only the „big names”, such as
Imre Takács, Pál Lővei and Ernő Marosi, but also young scholars, such as
Zsuzsanna Kiséry and others.
But as a natural consequence of such a large project, the volume
somehow lacks unity. It is not always clear why certain themes are
illustrated by certain catalogue entries, or why the themes themselves are
74

REVIEW
chosen and entitled the way they are. Some concentrate on a specific type of
source material, others are so general that they could easily be expanded in
other 700 pages long volumes. Then, some articles are merely one-page
long notes while others consist of more lengthy presentations. What they do
have in common is that they do not present new material and that they
concentrate on precious and prestigious items, offering a glittering and
seductive image.
All in all, the catalogue of the Sigismundus exhibition is a pleasure to
the eye. It does not bring great novelties but it is a successful and diversified
ensemble of artworks and general presentations meant to recreate the
atmosphere and the looks of an era.
Ana Maria GRUIA
75