Unknown Hungarian painter

The Melczer Mansion and Chapel of Sajóörös, after 1779

oil on canvas, 63.5x93 cm; unmarked
Fine Arts Collection, Inv. No.: 53.63.1.

The painting represents the estate landscape genre. The depiction of the most imposing features of the estate, such as the mansion, the well-maintained park or various farm and garden buildings was a popular subject among aristocrats, as it provided a sense of joy to the owners themselves. As a by-product, these paintings would also function as representations of social status, wealth and the various accomplishments achieved through those.
The main motif of the composition is the Baroque chapel of Sajóörös, a settlement located near Miskolc, which was commissioned by Ferenc Szőllősy and his wife and consecrated in 1779. At the time the settlement was a part of the Melczer family’s estates, following the marriage of Terézia Szőllősy and Ferenc Melczer. The painter was most likely a Hungarian traveling artist. Although the painting is a rather simple and straightforward depiction of nature, it is still a very captivating piece. Its appeal comes from the near photorealistic depiction of the estate, which shows that the painter working on it was doing so to the best of his abilities.
The painting was likely commissioned due to the consecration of the chapel, as its construction was finished around the same time. The details and scenes of the painting, such as the lord riding out of the mansion on horseback represent the satisfaction of a diligent aristocrat.
László Melczer (1755–1823), the grandson of the couple who ordered the chapel’s construction, spent a considerable amount of time at this estate. He was also a court advisor, a soldier Order of the Golden Spur and functioned as a vice-notary, deputy-lieutenant and parliamentary envoy in Borsod County. It is possible that the riding figure on the painting is also a depiction of him.
The panorama represents a scene that has long gone. The chapel was demolished, in its place a Roman Catholic Church was constructed in 1914. The same is true about the mansion in the background: it was replaced with another building by Géza Melczer (1860–1913) in 1892.
This outstanding historical piece was added to the collection of the museum in 1952 through purchase from an individual in Sajóörös.
Andrea Pirint