The Saint Ladislaus-Cycle of the Virgin Mary Church from Nyitrakoros
The significance of the mediaeval values of the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” Church from Nyitrakoros (Slovak: Krušovce) was for a long time only hinted at by the hidden treasures of the attic, its little-known Saint Nicholas-frescoes. Recently, in autumn 2014, a large-scale restoration research was begun under the direction of the fresco restorer Peter Koreň and the stone sculptor and restorer Martin Mikuláš, and the traces of a hitherto unknown, grandiose fresco cycle were discovered in the nave of the church. The figure of the king, carrying a red shield and wearing a red crown, can be easily identified as Saint Ladislaus on the basis of the details revealed by the restoration. Several fresco cycles on this theme, presenting his victory over the Cuman people, are well-preserved in Gömör and in the eastern regions of Slovakia. The discovery of the fresco from Nyitrakoros indicates that this theme has also taken root in the regions farther west in Upper Hungary.
The village of Nyitrakoros lies 40 kilometers north of the Nyitra and currently belongs to Slovakia. The onetime patrons of the settlement, the Berényi family were from the Lipovnok tribe, and their presence can be traced back to the second half of the 13th century. The church of Nyitrakoros was first mentioned in the papal tithe registration between 1332 and 1337. From the 14th century onwards, the village was divided in two parts: Felsőkoros (Upper Koros) and Alsókoros (Lower Koros). Accordingly, two churches stood in Nyitrakoros throughout the medieval period. The current church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and the less important, second church, to the Virgin Mary. Over time, the still-standing church has taken the patrociny of the Virgin Mary.
In spite of the rebuilds from the early modern and modern period, the building has largely preserved its original Roman architectural character. It is to be noted that, along with the Saint Stephen Church from Lévna, the church from Nyitrakoros is the only medieval church built of bricks in the Nyitra region. The simple one-nave church building ends in a semicircular eastern apse. The façade, presenting a clean spatial structure, preserves several simple, but elegant ornamental and structuring elements, many of them ‒ including the semi-circular ledge on the sidewall of the nave ‒ revealed by recent restoration research. The external façade of the sanctuary is structured by lisénes, while the western façade shows an opus spicatum (“spiked work”) pattern. The original main entrance of the building, dating from the Roman age, has not been preserved, but its fragments have been revealed by recent restoration research. There are two towers rising at the western façade of the church. In the southern tower, a narrow spiral staircase leads up to the attic area above the Baroque vaulting. On its western side, three semicircular openings hint at the onetime gallery of the patrons. Václav Mencl has dated the construction of the church from Nyitrakoros to the period between the second half of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century. Based on its spatial configuration, the massive, twin-turreted construction was probably indeed built in the 12th century. The church has been several times remodeled in the late middle and the early modern times, with a new Baroque vaulting and side chapels.
Researchers have taken note of the art historical significance of the church from Nyitrakoros already at the beginning of the 20th century, partially based on the two preserved mediaeval Saint Nicholas frescoes. Their existence was first indicated by Péter Gerecze’s monument census from 1905-1906, which also called attention to the two aquarelles of István Gróh, currently preserved in the Design Repository of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Center. The detailed analysis and research history of the frescoes can be found in Krisztina Ilkó’s Nyitra-vidéki falképfestészet a középkorban (Fresco painting from the Nyitra region in the mediaeval period, 2019).
Most of the frescoes of the church can be seen in the current attic area. The frescoes preserved here belong to a single continuous layer. The back of the apsis was embellished with a Maiestas Domini depiction, of which only fragments are extant. The reveal of the partially collapsed triumphal arch was decorated with the busts of the prophets, with Saint Nicholas painted on both sides of the western wall of the triumphal arch. In both cases, the saint is standing beneath an architectural element reminiscent of baldachin, and his identity is disclosed by an inscription. On the suggestive depiction of the eastern portion, Saint Nicholas stands turned rigidly towards the viewer, with one hand raised in blessing and with a bishop’s crozier in the other. Opposite, the south side of the triumphal arch presents one of the best-known moments of Saint Nicholas’s life, with the bishop saint handing a coin purse to the three girls. Beneath the two Saint Nicholas-depictions, recent fresco restoration research has revealed the figures of two other saints, both standing in a baldachin-like architecture similar to Nicholas’s. Based on the inscription with majuscules, the bishop saint standing on the northern side can be identified as Saint Stanislaus and the woman saint wearing a wreath of flowers from the southern side as Saint Dorothy. Immediately to the right of Saint Dorothy, on the south side wall of the nave, restoration research has revealed a kneeling figure, presumably the donor. Based on their style, the frescoes of the attic area can be assigned to the same layer. The static positioning and the Byzantine forms of the saints depicted on the western wall of the triumphal arch reminds of the art of the Duecento. The painter’s talent is especially prominent in his depiction of Saint Nicholas, whose face, planarly represented with strong contours, shows great psychological depth. Based on the dynamic shaping and the strong contour line, the fresco ensemble from the attic area may be dated to the 13th and 14th centuries.
New frescoes have also been found in the current church space. In the sanctuary, the fragments of a crucifixion scene have been revealed from a layer predating the frescoes of the attic, partially covered by a next layer, of which only the base drawing has been preserved, showing standing saints, presumably apostles. Frescoes from two different layers have been preserved in the nave of the church, and the representation of a king was revealed on the upper part of the south wall, a tall figure, painted with quick brushstrokes, presumably at the beginning of the 15th century.
Among the recently revealed fragments, the monumental Saint Ladislaus cycle discovered on the northern side of the nave is definitely the most important one. This fresco belongs to a 14th-century layer, which should nevertheless be distinguished from the paintings of the attic area. The fresco from Nyitrakoros further enriches the Saint Ladislaus fresco findings of recent years. A similarly noteworthy example, also from Slovakia, is found in the Virgin Mary Church from Szlatvin, where, in addition to the Saint Ladislaus figure of the reveal of the triumphal arch, probe research has also demonstrated the presence of a Saint Ladislaus cycle in the current attic area. The image series depicting the 1068 victory over the Cuman people at Kerlés has gained immense popularity on the mediaeval frescoes of the parish churches throughout the Hungarian Kingdom. The preserved Saint Ladislaus fresco cycles prove that this theme has only appeared after the 1308 coronation of Charles Robert, but has quickly become widespread in monumental painting beginning with the Anjou age. One of the earliest preserved Saint Ladislaus cycles can be found also in Upper Hungary, in the Saint Catherine’s Church from Kakaslomnic. It is stylistically close to the frescoes from Szepeshely, on the basis of which it can be dated at ca. 1317. This painting cycle is found in an unusual position, on the northern wall of the sacristy, and contains merely three scenes: the equestrian battle with Saint Ladislaus and the Cuman knight, the duel between King Ladislaus and the Cuman knight, and the beheading of the Cuman warrior. However, the recently revealed example from the provost’s church from Türje, dated at ca. 1320-1330, points to the fact that much longer cycles, containing five or more scenes, have already been painted simultaneously with the fresco from Kakaslomnic. The majority of the remains from Upper Hungary also represent longer adaptations of the theme. The fresco cycles from Gömör (e.g., those from Karaszkó and Rimabánya) are especially characteristic, almost completely filling out the north wall of the nave and narrating the abduction of the girls from Nagyvárad through dynamic scenes containing many figures. Based on its three discovered fragments, the fresco from Nyitrakoros was probably a similar cycle with several scenes. Probing has revealed three fragments, located beneath four of the six windows of the northern side wall, dated from the Roman age. The cycle of images extended from west to east and was framed from above by a broken ribbon motif, painted in red on a black background.
The scene revealed in the first part depicts the group formed by Saint Ladislaus and his soldiers marching into battle. The upper right part of the composition was destroyed due to an early modern window. Ladislaus is clad in mail, covering almost his entire body, with a green and red tunic on top. Although some frescoes present the king merely in his tunic or in full armor, similar dresses to the one depicted in Nyitrakoros were relatively frequently represented, including on the frescoes from Jakaslomnic, Türje and Gelence. The lily-ornamented open crown of the king saint is characteristic for the Anjou age, reminding, among others, of the fresco from Kakaslomnic. The fresco from Nyitrakoros uniquely presents Ladislaus in red, using this color for his crown, shield, tunic, and the cloth under his saddle. The depiction of his blond-haired and short-bearded head and grey horse follows the traditional iconography of the fresco cycle. The king holds his long spear in his right hand, while in his left there is a red and white shield, in which several arrows are stuck. Four grey and brown charging horses are also discernable, but, unfortunately, their riders are hidden by a Baroque pilaster, arrows showering down on them as well.
Further east, the next explored fragment shows the arrow-shooting Cuman knight, and to his left there is a soldier in armor, riding a grey horse. The arrow-shooting Cuman often appears on the right side the first, monumental battle scene. Sometimes, however, as on the representation from Sepsikilyén, there is also a second, separate scene, in which Ladislaus attacks the arrow-shooting Cuman knight with his spear. Only after the complete exploration of the fresco will it become clear which of these cases we have here. The third exploration window has revealed a fragment of the duel between Saint Ladislaus and the Cuman knight, unfortunately hidden by a Baroque pilaster. However, the figure of Ladiva, the maiden saved from the Cuman knight, who helps Ladislaus in the battle, can still be seen. She has long blond hair and is wearing a red dress with green sleeves. Her head is decorated with a wreath of red flowers, and she holds a weapon in her hand (presumably an ax). Ladiva usually appears in a similar position in two subsequent scenes, which follow after the kidnapped girl has accepted the advice of Saint Ladislaus and has torn down the Cuman knight from his horse. Both scenes are present throughout the fresco cycles from the region of Upper Hungary, already in Kakaslomnic, but also on later artworks from Rimabánya and Pónik. The first scene presents the fight between the Cuman knight and Ladislaus, as Ladiva cuts into the Cuman warrior’s leg with her ax, thus helping the king. On the second fresco, Saint Ladislaus holds the defeated Cuman knight, while Ladiva beheads him. On the fresco from Nyitrakoros, the positioning, the posture, and the ax indicate the first scene. Close analogies to the positioning of the figure can be seen on the frescoes from Kakaslomnic, Gelence, and Homoródkarácsonyfalva.
The elegant and graceful figure of Saint Ladislaus reflects a different approach from the archaizing, Byzantine-style frescoes of the attic area. As already noted, some characteristic details, such as the lily-ornamented open crown, establish a basis of comparison with frescoes dating from the first half of the 14th century, especially with those from Kakaslomnic. The symmetrical, somewhat oval face, the balanced posture and some finely crafted details, such as the meticulous painting of the coat of mail, hint at an especially capable painter’s workshop. The artist took great pleasure in painting surfaces with different textures and materials. Other beautifully crafted details include the hide of the grey horse, which is decorated with spots, and Saint Ladislaus’ vividly colored clothing. Nevertheless, in lack of strong analogies, the localization of the workshop and the precise dating of the fresco present difficulties. The finely modelled, symmetrical face and the round eyebrow would date this fresco to the 14th century. However, the dynamic representation of movement points beyond the artistic endeavors of the beginning of this century. Consequently, this monumental cycle was painted somewhat later than the cycle preserved in the attic area, presumably at the middle of the 14th century.
As already shown by Terézia Kerny, Ivan Gerát, Zsombor Jékely and other specialists, the Saint Ladislaus cycle presented the triumph of the knightly ideal, and its spread was closely connected to the representational needs of the settlement’s patron. The fresco from Nyitrakoros filled the middle part of the northern wall of the church nave and was clearly visible from the gallery of the patrons. The Saint Ladislaus cycle can be connected to the patronage of the Korosi family, to which several different fresco layers of the church from Nyitrakoros may be attributed. The inclusion of the Saint Ladislaus cycle in the fresco program of the church also modernized it, complementing the frescoes of the triumphal arch and the sanctuary, which were grandiose, but reflected the artistic ambitions of a previous era. As the quintessential knight saint, Saint Ladislaus could serve as the perfect role model for the patron of the church from Nyitrakoros. The Korosi family belonged to the middle aristocracy, whose members were the main patrons who ordered frescoes of Saint Ladislaus. Although this family did not play an especially prominent political role in the royal court, some of its members had significant careers. Egyed Korosi, for example, is mentioned as palatine (nádor) in a diploma dating from 1335.
Following this fortunate discovery, the exploration of the Saint Ladislaus cycle from Nyitrakoros will be the task of the following years. Based on the discovered fragments, this extended, high-quality fresco will be a valuable addition to the hitherto known corpus. At the same time, the fresco from Nyitrakoros has special significance due to the fact that it points to the wider spread of the Saint Ladislaus cycles than hitherto assumed by researchers. Although, compared with Gömör and the Szepesség region, fewer late medieval frescoes have been preserved from the Nyitra region, the latter offers several important examples of the representation and patronage of the late mediaeval knightly culture. The elegant, slender Saint George-figure from the Saint Nicholas’s Church from Porube presents the viewer with a knightly model similar to the Saint Ladislaus cycles. Another remarkable monument consists in the fresco of the Saint James’s Church from Zselíz, dated approximately around 1388, representing the death of the local patron, the knight György Becsei Vesszős, with the devil and the heavenly forces competing for his soul. After its complete exploration, the Saint Ladislaus cycle from Nyitrakoros, a much larger artwork, will surely prove to be one of the most monumental memorials related to the knightly culture of the Nyitra region.