|
Together with the statue of St. Catherine, held in a private collection in Budapest, St. Dorothy, a sculpture originating from Barka along the road between Kassa and Rozsnyó, but in fact still inside the cultural irradiation of Kassa, most probably was decorating a larger tabernacle in the company of other female saints flanking the representation of the Virgin Mary. The sculpture is one of the most exquisite examples of the International Soft Style created in Hungary around 1410 or 1420. With its slender figure and sincere and thoughtful facial expression, St. Dorothy is unique among the similar statues found in this region; it is taller than the other Beautiful Virgins, and the drapery of her dress, together with her attribute, the flower basket, smoothly follows the outline of her body Although the folds of her robe and the curve of her arms resembles the classical manner of presentation, they never become an independent plastic form; instead, they follow closely the soft S-line of the body The sculpture is distinguished from its close relatives, the Virgin Mary of Kislomnic and St. Magdalene of Dénesfalva, by the fineness of the carving, the sincere expression of the face, as well as by the more balanced arrangement and its exceptional proportions.
|
