New descriptions have been added to the Sculpture Park Project launched in the spring in the Fiumei Road Cemetery. Thanks to the initiative, QR codes placed on the plot stones can be used to get to know the tombstones of the cemetery with artistic value - reads the announcement of the National Heritage Institute (NÖRI) sent to Pestbuda.

The aim of the Sculpture Park Project launched by NÖRI is to draw visitors' attention to monuments, just as they do in a museum or gallery. Interpreting the cemetery as an exhibition space, the sculptures found in it can be interpreted with the help of object descriptions. In selecting the 70 works of art currently available, the aim of the institute was not to present the person resting in the grave, but rather to shed light on the art-historical value of the given grave monument.

The values of the cemetery can be found using the QR codes placed on the plots (Photo: National Heritage Institute)

"We consider it important that those who want to discover this national monument on their own can get to know the values of the Fiumei Road Cemetery. This is why we created and are constantly developing the cemetery's application, FiumeiGuide, and the QR code placed on the plots also serves this purpose. In addition, we find that the younger generation likes to use modern devices during their walks. The Sculpture Park Project will be continuously expanded, and we are confident that within a few years, most of the grave monuments with artistic value will be known through the development," emphasised Gábor Móczár, director general of NÖRI, in connection with the project.

The tomb of Béla Pállik (Photo: National Heritage Institute)

Newly published art historical descriptions reveal, for example, that Béla Pállik was mostly interested in observing and depicting animals from his youth, and he especially enjoyed painting sheep. The painter, also known as the "sheep painter", who gained national fame and popularity, is remembered by a shepherd and his flock standing under a roadside crucifix. The face of the old shepherd, leaning on his crook, clasping his hands in prayer, and looking ahead shows grief, and under the crucifix, he prays for the soul of the deceased among his beloved animals. His flock is represented by three sheep, standing next to each other and surrounding their owner.

It follows from all this that György Vastagh, an artist considered to be the greatest animal sculptor, was asked to create a worthy tombstone for Béla Pállik. The tomb statue was also presented at the 1933 art exhibition of the Kunsthalle. The Grand Gold Medal for the national fine arts exhibition was unanimously awarded to the sculptor by the committee delegated by the Minister of Culture and the Society of Fine Arts for his composition entitled The Tomb of Béla Pállik.

Statue of Andor Miklós' mausoleum (Photo: National Heritage Institute)

The statue of the mausoleum of Andor Miklós is among the twenty monument descriptions included in the Sculpture Park Project. The tomb of Andor Miklós, journalist, editor, owner and editor-in-chief of Az Est, and his wife, the artist Frida Gombaszögi, is a rectangular structure covered with stone, on the top of which is a soaring female nude, who holds the flame of eternal life in front of her with her right hand extended. Being unclothed already indicates the state of existence in the other world, the veil sliding off the naked body captures the moment of transition from earthly existence.

The female bronze figures depict the genius of Andor Miklós, who is just moving away from the grave that holds the earthly remains and is heading towards eternity. Originally, the busts of the deceased stood in the interior of the mausoleum. The design of the tomb was created by industrial artist and set designer Elek Falus, who was closely connected to the deceased press magnate and his family. He also designed the header and typography of the tabloid Az Est, founded by Andor Miklós, the hit paper of the era, as well as the appearance and furnishings of his wife's villa in Tahitófalu.

The Fiumei Road Cemetery is a rich collection of Hungarian gravestone art, where visitors can find hundreds of artistically designed sculptural works that perfectly represent nearly 200 years of the history of Hungarian sculpture. The Fiumei Road Cemetery can also be interpreted as a sculpture park and an open-air museum, where not only learning about the spiritual legacy of those who are buried here helps to remember, but also the art of tombstones represents an unparalleled value. The National Heritage Institute also wants to draw visitors' attention to the impressive sculptures with the Sculpture Park Project.

Source: National Heritage Institute

Cover photo: Statue of Andor Miklós' mausoleum in the Fiumei Road Cemetery (Photo: National Heritage Institute)