Among Bory Jenő’s sculptures on religious subjects is the figure of Saint Peter, displayed in the lower garden of Bory-vár. The 85-cm-high statue, made of quartz concrete, depicts one of Christianity’s most important apostles, venerated in tradition as the first leader of the Church and the ‘Prince of the Apostles’.
A defining element of the statue’s iconography is the key held by Peter, referring to the Gospel tradition. Jesus entrusted Peter with the keys of the kingdom of heaven: ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven …’ The key is therefore Saint Peter’s most important attribute, symbolising leadership of the Church and the task of opening the gate and receiving others in a spiritual sense. In Bory Jenő’s work the key is given a prominent place, making the saint immediately recognisable. The composition is characterised by simplicity and dignity. The figure, enveloped in a long robe, forms a compact vertical mass that conveys calm and steadfastness. Its restrained gestures and archaicising treatment of form emphasise the apostle’s spiritual authority.
The figure of Saint Peter is closely connected with one of the important feasts of Christian tradition, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, observed on 29 June. Tradition links the martyrdom of both apostles with this date. Peter was crucified in Rome, while Paul, as a Roman citizen, was beheaded. In popular tradition their feast is also associated with the beginning of the harvest.
The statue at Bory-vár clearly exemplifies a fundamental quality of Bory Jenő’s religious art: it presents holy figures in a humanly immediate, easily understood form while retaining their symbolic significance. In the figure of Saint Peter, the steadfastness of faith, responsibility and spiritual leadership take sculptural form.