Museum of Fine Arts

Description:

• During the 1896 millennial celebration of the Magyars settling and forming a nation in 896, the plans were proposed for the Museum of Fine Arts. Ten years later in the presence of Franz Josef, the king and emperor of Austria and Hungary, the Museum of Fine Arts was opened at the left side of Heroes' Square. This was the last great monument to be built during the most prosperous period of Hungary's history. Designed in the Beaux Arts style, the main facade has three classical Greek temples connected by colonnades. The temples represent the grove of muses, a place of relaxation. The Greek influence is further incorporated with the Corinthian columns and sculpture in the pediment: the Battle of the Lapiths and the Centaurs from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The museum is the main repository of foreign art in Hungary and it houses one of central Europe's major collections of such works. The initial collection was donated by Count Széchenyi who presented a number of portraits. A significant part of the collection was acquired in 1871 from the Esterházy collection, an enormously wealthy noble family who spent centuries amassing great art. There are eight sections in the museum: Egyptian art, antiquities, baroque sculpture, old masters, drawings and prints, 19th-century masters, 20th-century masters, and modern sculpture. Most great names associated with the old masters: Tiepolo, Tintoretto, Veronese, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, Brueghel, Rembrandt, Rubens, Hals, Hogarth, Dürer, Cranach, Holbein, Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, and others are represented here. Delacroix, Corot, and Manet are the best-represented 19th-century French artists in the museum. The overall collection consists of over 3,000 paintings, 10,000 drawings, and 100,000 prints. Trained docents offer a 1-hour guided tour in English, free of charge. Go to the cashier's desk close to the starting time and a docent will announce the tour. They are offered Tuesday through Friday at 11am and 2pm and Saturday at 11am.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010