András Szilágyi
The Princes Esterházy: Magnates, Diplomatists, Patrons of Art
An Exhibition in the Esterházy Palace at Eisenstadt/Kismarton
On 8 December 1687, the Emperor Leo- pold I made Pál Esterházy (1635- 1713), Palatine of Hungary, a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. The same title was borne by six of his descendants in succession between 1713 and 1804, when the Holy Roman Empire came to an end. The next five, in turn, had the simpler sounding title of Prince of the Empire.
It is these eleven Esterházy princes that the deservedly successful exhibition in the Esterházy's palace at Eisenstadt (Kismarton in Hungarian) in the Burgenland, Austria, from spring to October 1995, commemorated; eleven princes, different in character and importance in terms of the family's history. The building itself, with its particular atmosphere, aura and attraction, perfectly suited an exhibition of this kind. Its majestic design and interior arrangement are proof of the skill and originality of its renowned architect, Carlo Martino Carlone. They also embody the ideas and even concrete demands of the Prince Palatine, who had the palace reconstructed. It was his demands that led to the creation of the luxurious ornamentation of the facade, with its busts of the chieftains, kings and palatines of Hungary, from the country's conquest to the time of building; the uniquely impressive assembly of frescoes in the splendid great hall are also due to his wishes. Here, in one of the most imposing interior spaces that Central European Baroque ever created, these frescoes on mythological and allegorical subjects by Carpoforo Tencala express both an aristocratic desire for splendour and a comprehensive iconology. This is intended to convey the prestige and authority of a family of the first rank, and the weight and power of that authority, evoking mythological topics and figures celebrated in the history of the nation and the past glory of the Kingdom of Hungary; it also expresses the mentality of Prince Pál Esterházy who commissioned it, as does the very characteristic graphic work on display in neighbouring rooms.[...]
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For Miklós "the Magnificent" in particular, the Palace of Versailles served as a model. It was not only he himself who invoked the comparison: it figures frequently in various memoirs and reminiscences. The palace, its setting, along with the dazzling fêtes and theatrical events, equally impressed the playwright György Bessenyei and the Empress Maria Theresa, whose appreciation - "there are many gifted musicians here in Vienna, too, but if I want to see a really good performance of an opera, I have to travel to Eszterháza" - is frequently quoted. The magnificence of the Esterházy court, the extraordinary quality of the musical life first at Kismarton, and even more so from the 1760s to 1790s both there and at the rococo palace in Eszterháza, was hallmarked first and foremost by the work of Joseph Haydn. The exhibition included several documents and momentos of Haydn as composer and Kapellmeister (he served the Esterházys for more than four decades in those capacities). In addition to the orchestral scores of his monumental compositions first performed there, the exhibition also included the manuscripts of two more intimate chamber works (two barytone trios) which point to the close relationship between Haydn and his patron. The barytone, a string instrument then highly fashionable, was one of the favourite instruments of Miklós "the Magnificent", and one which he himself was quite adept on.[...]
Relations between Haydn and the aristocratic family remained lively under Miklós's successor, his grandson, Miklós Esterházy II (1756-1833). Although by that time the elderly composer and honorary Generalmusikdirektor rarely left his home in Vienna, his masses, oratorios and, in particular, his symphonies continued to be regularly performed by the princely orchestra of Kismarton, whose reputation continued to grow.[...]
The fifteen years before 1813 can be regarded as a period of late flourishing of the princely residence at Kismarton. Not only was the front of the building renovated (to the designs of Charles Moreau, whom Prince Miklós had met in Rome and invited to Hungary) but major changes were also undertaken in the garden. These were all carried out according to the ambitious plans of the Prince, an admirer of things Italian, who wanted to see an ingenious recreation of the garden of the Villa d'Este of Tivoli. As for the interior, also largely renovated at that time, the enrichment was unparalleled. In the rooms on the upper floor, the unique assembly of paintings and sculpture, which later came to be known as the Esterházy Collection, was first established. This exceptionally precious collection, originating from various Italian towns, was later purchased by the National Picture Gallery and, since the beginning of this century, has served as the basis of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. In itself, it testifies to the fact that its founder, Prince Miklós Esterházy I, was not only one of the most generous collectors and patrons of his age but also genuinely sensitive to quality in works of art. This too is conveyed by the imposing full-length portrait of him, painted in 1793 by Martin Knoller, which shows him with a marble bust of Minerva, the patron of the arts, in the background.
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A further memorable aspect of the exhibition were some four hundred items the organizers gathered from thirty-six European public and private collections (including ten in Hungary), most of which, especially the graphic and applied arts items, were on public display for the first time. Four of the fifteen major pieces of the Treasury which were lent for the exhibition by the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts are here reproduced.
András Szilágyi
is a curator at the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. His fields of research are the iconography of the Baroque period and goldsmithry. He is the author of a book on Poussin (1978) and another on the Esterházy Treasury (1994), reviewed on pp. 138 of this issue.
