The iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog is the largest Greek Catholic icon screen in Hungary. It is 11 m (36 ft.) tall and 7 m (23 ft.) wide, holding 54 icons on five tiers. Creating such a monumental work of art requires a number of different craftsmen. Miklós Jankovits was hired by the Greek Catholic parish of Hajdúdorog in 1799 to carve the wooden framework, including the doors and the icon frames of the iconostasis. Mátyás Hittner and János Szűts could only start the painting and gilding works in 1808. The last icon was completed in 1816.
The icons were painted clearly in Western style, quite unusual in Eastern rite churches. Instead of the traditional Byzantine iconographic depiction, the painters used the deep, rich colors, the intense light and dark shadows, and the eventful and realistic portrayal of late Baroque painting. The exact reason for turning towards the Western style is still disputed. However, Greek Catholicism by nature is closer to the Latin Rite, especially in 19th-century Hungary, where most of the population was Latin Catholic. Thus Western art and probably the Catholic rulers of the country, the Habsburgs, influenced the painters and the parish too.
While the structure of the iconostasis is based on Slavic tradition, it also displays a number of differences. Given Hungary's Latin Catholic majority, the artists who decorated Eastern rite churches usually either copied the style of a church in an Orthodox country or came from an Orthodox country themselves. Jankovits had Greek ancestors, but his icon screens were considered the only works with a style typical of Hungary. He combined several different styles. Rich, gilded ornaments, Zopf shapes of rose heads, tulips and Acanthus leaves characterize his work. Jankovits usually carved figures of animals on the top of the Royal Doors, clearly marking his style. In Hajdúdorog he added two ravens. Another important difference is that the icons do not start from the floor level. Altarpieces, that were not part of the original structure, stand between the holy doors instead. And the lifelike portraits typical of Western style are seldom found on Eastern icon screens.
The iconostasis frames were slightly altered before the icons were completed. A local craftsman probably added the altarpieces between the doors. The icon screen underwent four renovations. The first affected only the so-called "Sovereign tier" in 1868. A few years later, in the 1870s the entire work was renovated by György Révész and his team. In the years preceding the 1938 34th Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, the Catholic Church undertook renovation work in churches throughout the country. In 1937 the iconostasis of Hajdúdorog was re-painted in a rather low artistic quality. Györgyi Károlyi and Csongor Bedő completed the latest renovation in 2002, restoring the original colors and compositions as far as they possibly could.
History of the iconostasis
The latest restoration works commenced in 2000 on the entire iconostasis. At the same time, in cooperation with the restorers, a thorough investigation was initiated in ecclesiastical and diocesan archives and libraries to settle some of the controversial details relating to the history of the icon screen. In 1799, the parish commissioned the most notable master of the period, Miklós Jankovits, to carve the iconostasis frames. Jankovits who had Greek ancestors ran a highly ranked religious art workshop in Eger. He undertook the job for 2,000 Rhenish guilders, promising to complete the work within two years. Certain sources add that a local wood-carver, László Lengyel, assisted Jankovits with his work.Dercsényi (1991) p. 278 In 1808, following the erection of the carved frameworks of the iconostasis, Mátyás Hittner and János Szűts started marbling and gilding the frames, and painting the icons themselves. Hittner and Szűts, both from the town of Miskolc, planned the work over a period of three years and estimated the cost would reach 12,000 guilders. However, the costs soon started to increase. The parish and the town blamed the painters for raising the prices. In response, Hittner and Szűts first complained about the increase in the price of the gold before blaming each other for negligent work. The parish withheld payment until a final price was agreed. Years passed without a solution, leading Hittner to leave Hajdúdorog and look for another job. The town and the parish finally made an agreement with Szűts, who had by then moved with his family from Miskolc to Hajdúdorog. He finished the last icons in 1816 but refused to hand over the last three—the icons of the Calvary scene—over to the church, until he was paid.Sz. Kürti (1989) p. 4-5 The restorers tried to separate Hittner's icons from the ones Szűts painted, but it proved to be impossible. The icons of the lower tiers can be associated with Hittner, and the upper ones are probably Szűts' work.Terdik (2010)Sz. Kürti (1952) p. 171-182
The Synod of Zamość, 1720, tried to move the Eastern churches united with Rome closer to the Latin Rite. The decisions of the synod forbade a number of Eastern traditions, including the erection of an iconostasis in Greek Catholic churches. Smaller altarpieces were suggested instead. Although the rule remained in force only for eight years, it influenced the structure of the icon screen in Hajdúdorog. According to Byzantine traditions, icons cover the iconostasis from the floor up to the top. The lowest row usually depicts scenes from the Old Testament. In Hajdúdorog this row was replaced by ornamental altar tables between the Royal Doors. The recent restoration revealed that these small tables might not have been part of the Jankovits' original design. Their static, conservative ornaments and style differ from the rest of the carved works. The tables, however, were added before Hittner and Szűts started to work with the original coloring.Károlyi, Bedő (2002)Károlyi (2001)
The iconostasis underwent its first renovation when the church building was extended in 1868. According to the restorers' report, only the icons of the first tier and the holy doors were repainted at the time. The heavier use of this tier and the doors might have influenced the repainting but during the renovation signs of fire damage were also discovered. The first restoration therefore probably aimed to conceal the damage.Károlyi, Bedő (2002) A few years later, in the mid 1870s the entire iconostasis was renovated. After the lateral aisles were added to the church, the parish decided to reshape the interior of the building. For this purpose they had to dismount the icons from the frame. The icons and their framework were renewed under the supervision of György Révész. Gyula Petrovics, a painter, and Károly Müller, a gilder, worked in his restoration team. They did not change the composition of the icons or paint them over. Minor modifications were found only on some of the images of the first, so-called Feasts tier. Révész's team worked with oil paint which was covered by a layer of varnish. The varnish first turned yellow, and later giving the original colors a darker, matte appearance.Deák (1992) The framework of the iconostasis was marbleized. The coloring of the molding and the fundamental elements of the wooden frame resembled gray marble, while the pilasters and the columns were painted to resemble blue marble. This pattern was also adopted for the rest of the church's furniture, except for the red-ocher altar table.Károlyi, Bedő (2002)
On completing their renovation work, the restorers returned the icons to the Feasts tier but did not respect the Biblical chronology, with the result that they were sequenced in the wrong order. The error remained for 130 years until the icons were once again removed from the framework. The left side of the Feasts tier highlights six scenes from the life of Mary. Révész's team put the icon of the Flight into Egypt in the first position, and immediately after the scene of the Death of Mary. The next picture depicted the Annunciation, and only then came the icon of the Birth of Mary. The tier was ended with scenes of the Visitation and the Presentation of Mary. On the right side of the Feasts tier, concentrating on Jesus' life, only two scenes were transposed. The icons of the Pentecost and the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem switched places after the 19th-century renovation work. Today the icons are once again in the correct chronological sequence. The mistaken order of the Feast icons was corrected in 2002. The ecclesiastical records do not reveal the reason for the mistake. The cathedral's priests might have been absent or Révész might not have been aware of the Greek Catholic traditions. He might not even have been present when the icons were returned to their frames.Sz. Kürti (1989) p. 4
Almost 60 years later, in 1937, the iconostasis was renovated again although but the re-painting work was considered to be of really low artistic quality. This time the icons were not removed from the frame, and only a thick layer of varnish was applied to them. This layer made the icons lose their original colors and become even darker. The wooden structure of the iconostasis was painted with light green oil paint.Deák (1992)Károlyi, Bedő (2002)
After the Second World War, in the years of communism, the iconostasis along with the cathedral was seriously neglected. In 1989 chemical treatment with Xylamon was used to kill the woodworm destroying the wooden structure and ornaments.Radovics (1991)
The iconostasis of Hajdúdorog obtained its current look and condition during the latest restoration between 2000 and 2002. The aim of the two restorers, Györgyi Károlyi and Csongor Bedő, was to restore the original colors and compositions of the 200-year-old work of art. After removing the icons from the frames, the restorers started the preservation works on the wooden structure with a 5-10% solution of paraloid B-72. The broken or missing elements of the carved ornaments were replaced. Károlyi and Bedő revealed the original colors of the wooden elements, they marbleized the frames and the pilasters, gilded the ornaments and removed unauthentic additions. The vivid colors and Baroque compositions of the icons were also restored.Károlyi (2001)
Wooden structure and ornaments
The majority of Hungary's population is Catholic or belongs to a Protestant congregation. Eastern Orthodox traditions were therefore not very well established and most of the Hungarian iconostases bear the characteristics of an Orthodox country's artistic style. Jankovits, on the other hand, is the only iconostasis carving master who had a genuine, Hungarian technique. He mixed three different styles, all of which can be seen on the iconostasis of Hajdúdorog: Late Baroque shapes the dynamics of Jankovits' forms and ornaments Rococo - or Zopf style dominates the rich, jocular and light-hearted decoration of the icon frames, the lace-like holy doors and gilded ornaments Neo-Classicism determines the grandiose structure of the iconostasis: pillars, pilasters and antique capitals emphasize the Neo-Classical appearanceDeák (1992)
In Jankovits' iconostasis, the three different styles are harmoniously combined. The wooden carvings do not drive the focus away from the icons, even though the ornaments are really characteristic and determining. Greek Catholic iconostases in the Carpathian Basin usually have two or three tiers. The icon screen in Hajdúdorog has five tiers in accordance with Orthodox traditions. This makes it one of the largest Greek Catholic iconostases in the region.Sz. Kürti (1989) p. 4