Sümeg - Parish Church of the Ascension

The interior decoration of the outwardly insignificant Church of the Ascension is a unique work of art. The entire single-naved interior of this building (1756-57) was designed by Bishop Márton Biró and carried out by Franz Anton Maulbertsch between 1757 and 1758, probably the most important representative of Austrian Late Baroque painting. Born in 1724 in Langenargen on Lake Constance he moved in 1739 to Vienna where he painted the dome of the piarist church in 1752/53 and was professor of the art academy from 1770. The frescos in Sümeg were prototypes for the first main period of his art, which is characterized by bright colors, active composition and expressive gestures of the usually (as with Goya) rounded figures. The paintings are in order of the gospel story: below the organ gallery are the Old Testament figures of Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah, and the prophets awaiting salvation in limbo (in the side chapel the sacrifice of Abraham; above the gallery a picture of Bishop Bíró). 1st truss: the Annunciation, right side altar the Adoration of the Shepherds (self portrait of the artist as a shepherd presenting cheese and bread) left side altar the Circumcision of Jesus. 2nd truss: Star of Bethlehem, which corresponds with the Adoration of the Three Kings in the right side altar (in the background the murder of the innocents in Bethlehem), while the solar and lunar eclipse on the left lead to the Crucifixion on the left side altar. 3rd truss, beginning on the right: the right side altar the Resurrection, in the dome the risen Christ with the disciples, night sky with angels, the outpourings of the Holy Spirit, left side altar St Peter's first sermon. The grisailles of the choir depict the four church fathers, the vaulting the trans-figuration of Christ. In the triptych of the high altar in the center is the Ascension with symbols of faith, hope and love; on the left the triumphant church (Mary with saints, popes), on the right the fighting and suffering church (Maulbertsch's signature bottom right). It is noteworthy how the architectural framework is incorporated into the composition - a stylistic device which features often in Late Baroque/Rococo with the effect of increasing the impression of space.

The frescos were first restored in 1938 and again in 1966-69 to rectify war damage. In the porch there is a machine to illuminate the frescos.