The funerary monument of Borsányi Ilonka is a lyrical work by Bory Jenő: the kneeling angel keeps watch over a life cut short in youth, expressing mourning, innocence and hope at once.
The funerary monument of Borsányi Ilonka in Csutora Cemetery in Székesfehérvár was made by Bory Jenő in 1930. The memorial preserves the memory of a girl who died young, Borsányi Ilonka (1917–1930).
The central feature of the funerary monument is a kneeling angel, made of concrete. The statue appears with hands clasped in prayer and head bowed, inviting the viewer to quiet remembrance and contemplation. The work does not emphasise the tragedy of passing, but expresses the ideas of purity, innocence and otherworldly protection. For the memory of a girl who died young, the choice of an angel is therefore particularly apt.
The work now bears strong traces of weathering. The outer layer of the concrete surface has worn away in several places, the delicate details of the face have partly blurred, and the statue’s original texture can be observed only on its more protected surfaces. At the same time, this clearly conveys the use of materials and technical solutions of Bory Jenő’s early concrete sculptures.
A particular point of interest is that the original plaster version has survived and is now on display at Bory Castle in Székesfehérvár. Two painted versions of the composition with wings stand on the altar of the parish church in Muraszombat, suggesting that Bory Jenő considered the kneeling angel a particularly successful work and used it in other settings as well.
The funerary monument belongs among the artist’s allegorical memorials. The kneeling angel is not a portrait of the deceased, but a personification of mourning, prayer, faith and heavenly intercession. The work aptly exemplifies Bory Jenő’s endeavour to represent remembrance through symbolic figures that convey human emotion.