ASKLEPIOS IN HUNGARIAN MEDALLIC ART

K I S E B B
K Ö Z L E M É N Y E K
ASKLEPIOS I N HUNGARIAN
MEDALLIC ART
by G Y U L A V A R A N N A I
T n nearly all the branches of art the appearance of Asklepios is contempora­
neous with the cult of the god of medicine. The spread of his cult was most
effectively facilitated by coins bearing his figure. His first silver coin minted, in
350 B. C , shows Asklepios with his commonest attribute, the serpent twined
round a rod. I n Hungarian numismatic art one meets his figure rather late but
in a rich and varied form, written in the Latinized version Aesculapius, and not
only as a symbol, an allegory, but expressing deeper ideas adequate to the purpose
of the coin in question.
The figure of Asklepios first appears in Hungary on a medal minted for the
itinerary congress of Hungarian Physicians and Naturalists held in 1847 in
Sopron. I t was the work of József Dániel Böhm, a native of Hungary, in con­
temporary classicist style. His composition shows a female figure representing
the town of Sopron joining her hands with those of Asklepios, who is standing
for the physicians. (Fig. J.)
I n 1900 the Stefánia Children's Hospital had a medal made after the signet of
its legal predecessor, the Pest Hospital of Poor Infants founded in 1839. I t displays
a scene where the seated Asklepios receives in his "consulting room" a smaller
child sitting on the arm of its mother and another one lead by the hand. We
know nothing of the author of the medal or the signet, but it does not reach the
artistic standards of the age. (Fig. 2.)
This was the model of a 23 m m emblem commemorating the 1927 meeting of
the Association of German Paediatricians held in Budapest. Its legend is the
following: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinderheilkunde Tagung Budapest 1927.
Its reverse has the same in Hungarian.
The 40 + 40 mm medal for the X V I . International Congress of Physicians
held in Budapest was made by György Vastagh. The athletic, bearded Asklepios
sits in his chair with easy stylishness, his rod with the serpent looks more like a
sceptre than the symbol of his profession. His hedonistic pose recalls the spirit
of the first years of the new century. (Fig. 3.)
Richárd Zutt was of Swiss origin but lived in Hungary. He made a 92 + 87 mm
medal for the 1914 gathering (planned for London but prevented by the outbreak
of World War I) of the International Veterinary Congress founded in 1905 in
Budapest. I t shows Asklepios as a youngster hugging a wooly sheep, when he
was banished by his father Apollo to Mount Pelion where he learned the art of
healing following the instructions of the centaur Kheiron, while grazing his
herd. (Fig. 4.)
The model of another medal made in 1915 was Hümér Hültl, professor of
surgery. The reverse side depicts the already mature but beardless Aesculap
supporting himself with his rod with a wry smile on his face. The artful pleats
of his toga give an additional emphasis to his unconcealed young body. The god
parading among medicinal plants radiates a definite joie de vivre. This presenta­
tion leaves no doubt that the artist wanted to intimate the wordly nature of the
otherwise outstanding surgeon. Both medals of Zutt are noteworthy as prototypes
of Art Nouveau in Hungary. (Fig. 5.)
A medal composed by Erzsébet Esseő Ín 1918 with head surgeon Ernő Pető as
her model presents a rather peculiar scene. Doing away with all conventions
Aesculap is using the serpent as a whip to drive away the sand-glass holding
Death. Both this presentation and the front side showing the head surgeon i n
uniform recalls the atmosphere of the Great War. (Fig. 6.)
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Árpád Teleki prepared a medal for the Human Protection Congress of 192G.
One can see a couple accompanied by the figure of Asklepios who is protecting
them from Death lurking behind them.
A medal minted for the International Stomatological Congress held in Buda­
pest in 1931 is the work of Lajos Berán. Here the old Asklepios is giving a burning
night-light to his daughter Hygieia, the godess of health symbolizing the never
ceasing efforts of the physician to restore health. (Fig. 7.)
The bronze medal of two professors of surgery, József Kovács and Miksa
Schächter was composed in a similar vein by Pál Vincze of London, a native of
Hungary. Here old Asklepios is sitting with his disciple who follows him with
keen interest and is about to carve the teachings of the master into a waxen
tablet. The plaque with a diameter of 105 m m was presented by the Budapest
Medical Association in every year to an outstanding physician who returned the
honour with a memorial lecture. (Fig. 8.)
Another medal by Pál Vincze is the 45 m m bronze medal of the Grünwald
Sanatorium in Budapest. I t depicts an ideal couple. The woman on the sofa
does not look ill at all, Asklepios is a relatively young, beardless, muscular man
whose approach is nearer to courting than curing. I t might be noted that accord­
ing to Pausanias King Dionysius had ordered that the beard must be removed
from the gold statue of Asklepios of Epidaurus because it is not becoming for
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
the son to have a beard when his father Apollo is beardless on all presentations.
(Fig. 9.)
On the bronze medal minted to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of
the Royal Medical Association of Budapest in 1937 the presentation of Askle­
pios corresponds to the rituals of classical mythology in all details. Walter Madarassy applied neoclassical puritan simplicity and elegance for the emblem of
the association founded in the age of Classicism. Following the Pergamon conven­
tion the bearded Asklepios's head is wreathed with theristion, his feet are i n
sandals, his right shoulder is uncovered, his left is holding the rod with the
serpent, while a papyrus symbolising the profession of the Association is held
by his right. (Fig. 10.)
I n 1948, on the coin of the ophthalmologist Ferenc Korchmáros, Ferenc Csúcs
depicted a rustic, heavy Aesculap with the serpent twining upwards on a thick
stick. W i t h this approach the artist wanted to portray the representative of
traditional popular curing, who is living in Nature's bosom. Surely Asklepios
entered mythology through his healing activities based on empiricism. The
direct cause of his rise was his resurrection of the dead in defiance of Zeus for
which he was struck dead by a lightning according to Greek mythology. (Fig. 11.)
Ferenc Csúcs had another medal of Aesculap made in 1962, at the 175th
anniversary of veterinary training, in memory of Sándor Tolnay, the first pro­
fessor in the veterinary sciences in Hungary. The composition was based on the
illustration in Tolnay's book.
Among the medals prepared by József Reményi the god of medicine first
appears i n 1920 on the medal of head physician József Keleti. On the reverse of
the coin Asklepios is confronting Death. Each is feeding a serpent, the first the
sacred serpent of life, the other a reptile symbolizing doom. (At some ancient
peoples e. g. the Sumerians or the Egyptians the cave-dwelling snake, well
known for its deadly bite was the harbinger of the nether world, the representative
of the Empire of the Dead.)
József Reményi was a professor at the High School of Applied Arts. He often
turned to the devices of classical symbolism in expressing his message on the
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
reverse of his medals. So Asklepios appears on many medals honouring physi­
cians. These two Aesculaps are from the 'twenties. Both are in a stilted A r t
Nouveau pose, though not without artistic qualities. I n our opinion they are just
l'art pour l'art variations of Aeskulap. Let us see some other variations. (Fig. 13.)
On a medal minted in honour of directing head physician János Wenhardt a
member of the nursing staff, a certain Sister Márta is handing some medicine to
the patient, while Asklepios is holding the model of the new Rókus Hospital in
his hands. Now, after nearly half a century, the walls of the old building are still
standing, and the model of the new building is waiting to see its realisation.
(Fig. 14.)
Fig. 13
F i g . 14
I n 1928 Reményi modelled the medal of Vilmos Manninger, professor of
surgery. The reverse recalls the idyllic atmosphere of Aranyhegedű (The Golden
Violin), a short story by Ferenc Herczeg. A love romance is transplanted into
another artistic genre, showing Asklepios, spell-bound from music, as he is
accompanying his love into the world of happiness. (Fig. 15.)
The medal of Lajos Török, professor of dermatology, dated from 1934, shows
the exalted moment when the god of medicine is lighting the torch of the young
doctor with the torch of science, that is passing on his medical knowledge to his
sucessor. The act is full of motion, the artist wanted to express the progressive
character of medical science. (Fig. 16.)
Fig. 15
F i g . 16
The medal of István Pelláthy, directing head physician (1930) shows Asklepios
in full imperatorial dress, with a field-marshal's baton in his right. The allusion
is clear, especially as the old hospital is in the background. (Fig. 17.)
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
The Frigyes Korányi prize medal for T . B. physicians, also the work of
Reményi, shows the dramatic fight of the doctor. With the help of the powerful
sacred serpent the messenger of death is strangled before it could apply its
deadly bite. (Fig. 18.)
The St. Rókus Hospital of Budapest celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1956.
The artist commemorated the event with a medal made of silver and bronze. On
the reverse Aesculap covers the sick man with his large cloak—who is collapsing
helplessly before the god of help. (Fig. 19.)
Pommersheim, a professor in surgery, was honoured by Reményi with two
medals, both with Asklepios on the reverse. One shows the god of curing as he
is hurrying to the patient, in the spirit of the legend: A K Ö T E L E S S É G M I N ­
D E N E K E L Ő T T (Duty Is above All). On the other medal the patient is on his
knees expressing his gratitude for the successful operation, and Aesculap the
surgeon in raising him. (Fig. 20.)
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
I n 1902 Béla Johan was presented with a bronze medal by his admirers and
friends. On the reverse Reményi composed the apotheosis of the Green Cross
movement, the first health establishment in Hungary concerned with preven­
tion. The legend recalls the title of Johan's book: G Y Ó G Y U L A M A G Y A R
F A L U (The Hungarian Village Is Becoming Healthy). The mother holding a
child is expressing her gratitude both to the Green Cross district nurse and to
Asklepios who personifies the physicians. (Fig. 21.)
In 1907 Reményi modelled Sándor Fekete, the Director of the Semmelweis
Medical Historical Museum. The medal of the professor of obstetrics shows a
future mother streching out her hands towards Asklepios, here an obstetrician,
seeking his help. (Fig. 22.)
I do not claim to have exhausted my subject, but I hope this was sufficient to
refute the statement in Jan Shouten's book The Rod and Serpent of Asklepios
that the artists of the 20th century overlook Asklepios. The work of Hungarian
medal artists deny that.
Összefoglalás
A magyar é r e m m ű v é s z e t b e n kissé megkésve, de annál gazdagabb és változatosabb
formában találkozunk Aszklepiosz alakjával. Az első érmet B ö h m József Dániel ké­
szítette 1.84 7-ben, klasszicista stílusban, a Magyar Orvosok és Természetvizsgálók
soproni vándorgyűlésére. Jelentősebbek m é g : 1900-ban a Stefánia Gyermekkórház
ismeretlen művésztől származó é r m e , 1909-ben Vastagh György é r m e a X V I . Nem­
zetközi Orvoskongresszus tiszteletére, Berán Lajosé 1931-ben, Madarassy Walter
1937-ben vert bronzérme a Budapesti K i r . Orvosegyesület 100 éves évfordulójára,
Reményi József Aszklepiosz-érmei stb. Ezek az érmek cáfolják Jan Shouten The
Rod and Serpent of Asklepios című könyvének azon állítását, hogy a X X . század
művészei mellőzik Aszklepiosz ábrázolását.