03 — ARTWORK
Fountain of King Matthias
- MEDIUM
- Bronze, marble and limestone
- TYPE
- Historical
PALETTE
HOVER OR TAP A SWATCH FOR NAME, SHARE AND HEX. SAMPLED FROM THE IMAGE — INDICATIVE, NOT A PIGMENT ANALYSIS.
THIS REPRODUCTION
- FILE
- 1263 × 1000 px · JPEG
COMMENTARY
UNDERLINED TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY.
Matthias Corvinus (1443-1490), also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary (as Matthias I) and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death. After conducting several military campaigns he became also King of Bohemia (1469-1490), and Duke of Austria (1486-1490). With his patronage Hungary became the first European country which adopted the Renaissance from Italy. As a Renaissance ruler, he established education institutions, patronized art and science, and introduced a new legal system in the Kingdom of Hungary. In the era of his kingship, Matthias strongly endeavoured to follow the model and ideas of the philosopher-king as described in Plato’s Republic.
The Matthias Fountain is a monumental fountain group in the western forecourt of Buda Castle, Budapest. It is a Neo-BaroqueThe period in art history from about 1600 to about 1750. In this sense the term covers a wide range of styles and artists. In painting and sculpture there were three main forms of Baroque: (1) sumptuous display, a style associated with the Catholic Counter Reformation and the absolutist courts of Europe (Bernini, Rubens); (2) dramatic realism (Caravaggio); and (3) everyday realism, a development seen in particular in Holland (Rembrandt, Vermeer). In architecture, there was an emphasis on expressiveness and grandeur, achieved through scale, the dramatic use of light and shadow, and increasingly elaborate decoration. In a more limited sense the term Baroque often refers to the first of these categories. The development of the Baroque reflects the period's religious tensions (Catholic versus Protestant); a new and more expansive world view based on science and exploration; and the growth of absolutist monarchies. work by Alajos Stróbl.
The group depicts a hunting party led by Matthias Corvinus, the king of Hungary. The bronzeAn alloy of copper (usually about 90 per cent) and tin, often also containing small amounts of other metals such as lead or zinc. Since antiquity it has been the metal most commonly used in cast sculpture because of its strength, durability, and the fact that it is easily workable - both hot and cold - by a variety of processes. It is easier to cast than copper because it has a lower melting-point, and its great tensile strength makes possible the protrusion of unsupported parts - an advantage over marble sculpture. The colour of bronze is affected by the proportion of tin or other metals present, varying from silverish to a rich, coppery red, and its surface beauty can be enhanced when it acquires a patina. figures are standing on heaps of rocks against the backdrop of the northern façadethe front or principal face of a building, especially one elaborately constructed; a blind façade is a façade that is purely decorative and does not relate to the structure of the building. of the former Castle Church. Water is running down between the cracks of the boulders. The whole theatrical arrangement bears resemblance to the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome although it is on a much smaller scale.
The monumental facade behind the fountain is flanked by two pairs of giant Corinthian columns. The original balustradeA rail supported by a row of small posts or open-work panels. crowning and the Mansard roof was richer in details but it was simplified after the second world war. The central niche forms a triumphal archIn the architecture of ancient Rome, a large and usually free-standing ceremonial archway built to celebrate a military victory. Often decorated with architectural features and relief sculptures, they usually consisted of a large archway flanked by two smaller ones. The triumphal archway was revived during the Renaissance, though usually as a feature of a building rather than as an independent structure. In Renaissance painting they appear as allusion to classical antiquity. which is decorated with King Matthias' personal coat of arms. King Matthias is standing on the highest rock in hunting attire. He is holding a crossbow in his right and a huge stag lies dead at his feet. On the lower rocks a henchman blows his horn and the leader of the hunting group rests sitting on a boulder with his back towards the viewer. Three hounds complete the central group.
There are two more bronze figures on the sides of the basin. They are connected to the central group with gestures and gazes but they have their own plinths. On the right is Szép Ilonka (Helen the Fair), heroine of a famous 19th century ballad by Mihály Vörösmarty. The girl is looking towards the king protecting her tame fawn from the hunters. On the right is the Italian chronicler, Galeotto Marzio who lived in King Matthias court. A dog lies at his feet and a falcon sits on his arm.
OTHER WORKS BY ALAJOS STRÓBL
CITE THIS RECORD — BIBTEX
@online{wga-rcf5f29f348f7da,
author = {Krén, Emil and Marx, Daniel},
title = {Fountain of King Matthias by STRÓBL, Alajos},
organization = {{Web Gallery of Art}},
date = {2026-09-13},
url = {https://beta.wga.hu/artists/strbl-alajos-r7bfe57ff7bbf84/fountain-of-king-matthias-rcf5f29f348f7da},
urldate = {2026-09-13},
langid = {english}
}ACCESSED 2026-09-13. REPLACE THE AUTHOR FIELD WITH THE COMMENTARY AUTHOR WHERE ONE IS NAMED.