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"Archeology" was Ferenczy's last picture painted in Munich. It was in fact finished in Nagybánya. It cannot be related to any of his works, unless his early drawings or poster designs. All features of art nouveau are present in the picture, of which the plainness of the composition, lines and strong contours surrounding patches of colours are the most significant. Dividing pictures into sections became very fashionable in art nouveau. In the section at the top, an old archeologist and his companion are watching how the exploration is going on. Three men are working in front of them in deep trial trenches. Remains of an ancient building and a marble statue entwined with roots in the bottom section define the scene. The picture is characterized by deliberate composition with vertical and horizontal elements holding the picture together. Plainness, large, and homogenous patches and contrast of light and dark colours make the composition decorative. Differences between "Archeology" and the sketch arise precisely from these features: the statue in the ground is two dimensional, consequently it is more accentuated just like the narrow strip of land and contrast of colours are more definite. While the sketch makes the workers more important than other elements in the picture, they are equal in the case of "Archeology" following the rules of art nouveau. "Archeology" is in fact a fresco design: it is not only a carefully composed and drawn decorative picture, but the application of tempera which is suitable for producing a fresco-like effect underlines it, too. As a fresco, it was never realized.
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