The cyclorama Arrival of the Hungarians (A magyarok bejövetele), painted by Árpád Feszty and collaborators, stands as one of Hungary’s most iconic artistic creations. This monumental work has captivated audiences since its unveiling in 1894, blending art, history and Romanticism to vividly depict the arrival of the Hungarian tribes into the Carpathian Basin. From its origins to its dramatic journey through the 20th century, this cyclorama is not just an artistic marvel but a symbol of national heritage.

A vision born in Paris

The story of the panorama begins in 1891, when Árpád Feszty, an accomplished painter known for his historical and Romantic works, traveled to Paris. There, he encountered a monumental cyclorama depicting the Battle of Champigny from the Franco-Prussian War. Enthralled by the immersive nature of the art form, Feszty resolved to create a similar panoramic painting of monumental scale.

Initially, Feszty intended to paint a scene from the biblical story of the Flood. However, his father-in-law, the celebrated writer Mór Jókai, persuaded him to tackle a patriotic subject instead: the arrival of the Hungarian tribes in the Carpathian Basin, a pivotal event in Hungarian history. With the millennium of the Hungarian Conquest (896) approaching, such a theme promised to resonate deeply with audiences and attract state support.

The panorama, a genre patented in the late 18th century by British artist Robert Barker, offered an immersive artistic experience. It involved a circular painting displayed in a round building, with viewers standing on a central platform. Diorama-like foregrounds seamlessly extended the painted scenery, creating an illusion of stepping into another world. In an era without photography or film, panoramas were a groundbreaking medium for entertainment and education.

The creation of the cyclorama

Feszty’s vision for the Arrival of the Hungarians was ambitious in every sense. The painting measures an astonishing 1,800 square meters, with a circumference of 120 meters, a width of 15 meters, and a diameter of 38 meters. It was painted on a single piece of Belgian-woven canvas, making it one of the largest panoramas in the world.

Given the sheer scale of the project, Feszty enlisted the help of several prominent artists of the time.

• László Mednyánszky, Ignác Újváry and Béla Spányi contributed to the landscape elements.
• Pál Vágó and Henrik Papp worked on group scenes and individual figures.
• Celesztin Pállya brought to life the encampments, including settlers, tents, livestock and herds.
• Ferenc Olgyai, Adolf Barsy, Károly Ziegler and Dániel Mihalik also played key roles in ensuring the completion of the work.

Even Feszty’s wife, Róza Jókai, an accomplished painter herself, contributed to the painting, focusing on scenes depicting the dead and wounded.

To ensure historical accuracy, Feszty traveled to the Verecke Pass in the Eastern Carpathians, where the Hungarians are believed to have entered the Carpathian Basin. He consulted historians and archaeologists to understand the customs, weaponry and attire of the time. However, knowledge of these details in the late 19th century was limited, allowing Romantic imagination to shape many aspects of the painting.

Depicting the Arrival of the Hungarians

The cyclorama portrays the Hungarian Conquest through six interconnected scenes that vividly depict key moments of the migration:

1. The Arrival of the Hungarian Wagons
2. Árpád’s Victory
3. The Cavalry Charge
4. The Shaman’s Sacrifice
5. Encampment
6. War Booty

The scenes are seamlessly connected, forming a continuous narrative. At the heart of the panorama is Árpád, leader of the Hungarian tribes, standing atop a hill with his generals, surveying his victorious troops. Feszty infused the painting with Romantic ideals, capturing the grandeur and heroism of the event. Some figures in the painting were modeled on prominent contemporaries, and Feszty even painted his own likeness into Árpád.

The unveiling and early success

The painting was completed in the spring of 1894, slightly behind schedule. It premiered on May 13, Pentecost Sunday, as part of the millennium celebrations in Budapest. Displayed in the Panorama Palace, a glass-domed building in City Park designed by Feszty’s brother Adolf, the work was an instant sensation. Visitors flocked from across Hungary to view the massive painting, and it became a centerpiece of the 1896 Millennium Exhibition.

Despite its popularity, financial difficulties plagued the project. Admission fees did not cover the costs of production, leaving Feszty with a 10,000-forint loss. Nonetheless, the painting’s acclaim solidified Feszty’s reputation, albeit at the expense of overshadowing his other works.

A tumultuous journey

The painting’s journey over the next century was marked by both triumph and tragedy. In 1898, it was transported to the London World’s Fair, where it garnered international attention. However, by the time it returned to Budapest in 1909, its original exhibition building had been demolished to make way for the Museum of Fine Arts. The panorama was relegated to a temporary wooden structure near City Park’s fairgrounds.

During World War II, the painting suffered severe damage when its building was bombed. In an effort to preserve what remained, the canvas was cut into strips, rolled onto wooden cylinders and stored in various warehouses. The deteriorating fragments were eventually donated to the Hungarian National Gallery.

Restoration and revival

In 1970, the Hungarian government decided to establish the Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park, a site dedicated to the legacy of the Hungarian Conquest. It was proposed that The Arrival of the Hungarians find a permanent home there. Restoration began in 1991, led by a Polish team from Ars Antiqua, who worked for four years to reconstruct the damaged painting.

The panorama’s new home, the Rotunda, a circular building constructed specifically for the painting, was completed in the mid-1980s. On July 14, 1995, the fully restored cyclorama was inaugurated, and it opened to the public on August 1. Today, visitors to Ópusztaszer can view the painting in its full grandeur, immersing themselves in a pivotal moment of Hungarian history.

The Arrival of the Hungarians remains a beloved cultural treasure. Since its restoration, it has been viewed by over 4.5 million people. To this day, it draws visitors from Hungary and beyond to the Rotunda in Ópusztaszer. For those unable to visit in person, a digital reproduction is available online through Panograph’s website, allowing audiences to appreciate the work from anywhere in the world. Through its monumental scale, rich detail and dramatic story, it continues to inspire and educate audiences over a century after its creation.

• Address: 6767 Ópusztaszer, Szoborkert 68
• Official website: Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park
• Ticket sales: opusztaszer.jegy.eu
• Accessibility: take the Kistelek exit from the M5 motorway and drive 5 kilometers toward Kistelek. Once in the town, head straight toward Ópusztaszer for another 6 kilometers. When you reach the village, turn right, then drive 2 kilometers and turn left at the marked turnoff to arrive at the park.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)