TELLING OBJECTS. THE RELICS OF THE PETŐFI FAMILY.
| With its detailed descriptions and in most cases visual representations, the volume acquaints us with more than 230 material remains. All of the objects described are linked to either Petőfi or his family – his parents, brother, son, and wife Júlia Szendrey – and were part of their lives. |
The scholarly inventory records the material world surrounding the poet and his family by selecting items from Hungarian and foreign public collections, and church and private collections. Although we only encounter fragments of the whole now past, we learn a great deal through the objects about the milieu that surrounded, and was more than once the inspirer of, a phenomenal poetic career. The catalogue offers data-packed descriptions of each object, giving its dimensions, material and condition, and defining its shape. This is followed by a history of the relic, an authentic presentation of how the object was acquired, and technical literature on its use complete with biographical data. For the sake of readability, we also quote Petőfi texts relevant or related to these objects. In their presentation, the authors have been meticulous in their efforts to highlight the relationship between each object and the life work, and in this respect they also have one or two surprises in store for us. However, it is not only the relationship between objects and life work that we can learn a great deal about: the objects also reveal how Petőfi’s tastes changed. Following on from the world of objects, one of the introductory essays analyses Petőfi’s clothing and tastes in detail, while another provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the objects which have survived. In addition, we can also read about the relationship between Petőfi and succeeding generations, and all its distorted offshoots. All who love Petőfi and are interested in his world, whether casual readers, or teachers, students and researchers, are sure to find a great deal of interest in the volume.
