Ceremonial Hall

The frescos were ordered by Count József Teleki and were painted with grisalle-technique by an unknown master from Szirák, according to a cut serial by a contemporary German master, Johann Wilhelm Baum, in 1780. Grisaille-technique means that the painter plays with the nuances of a colour - in this case : green – so that some parts of the picture appear plastically. The painted figural scenes represent one episode from OVIDIUS’s METAMORPHOSIS each. The six pictures can be seen on the northern, southern and western wall of the hall. The eastern wall is decorated with vases and garland motifs.

I. THE STORY OF CYPARISSUS

A young man killed the nymphs ’ tame holy deer by mistake, because of this, Apollo transformed him into a cypress.

II. THE STORY OF ARACHNE

Arachne was a very good weaver and spinner. But she was also arrogant and she challenges Athena, the goddess to a weaving contest. The two of them set up their looms in the same room and they wove. In the meantime, Arachne told several stories of Jupiter’s love affairs, which made Athena so mad that she transformed Arachne into a spider.

III. THE STORY OF HERMES

In this picture, Lyceus’s garden is to seen, where virgins in flowered baskets on their head carry their holy badges to the castle of Palla. Over them circles Hermes, the divine herald with wings on his tarsus and helm. He falls in love with one of the girl, but she does not requite his love, therefore Hermes transforms her into a sculpture.

PHILOMENE’ REVENGE

The most successful work represents a creepy story: In a luxurious palace, the injured wife and fooled sister-in-law took revenge together on the hated man, they served him his own son for dinner. Later, when the father looked for his child, the wife took the son’s bloody head in. The despaired father drew his sword and chased the women until they turned into pigeons and the father turned into hoopoe.