Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
The Museum of Fine Arts houses the city's most outstanding collection of for-
eign works of art dating from antiquity to the 21st century. The nucleus of the
collection dates back to 1870, when the state purchased the private collection
of Count Miklós Esterházy. It moved into its present home, a neoclassical
building on the northern side of Heroes' Sq, in 1906.
The enormous collection is spread over four levels. Egyptian artefacts and temporary ex-
hibitions are in the basement, where you'll also find 20th-century and contemporary arts.
Classical antiquities are on the ground floor, along with further temporary exhibition space.
The bulk of the rest of the works are hung on the 1st floor. A small section of the 2nd floor
is reserved for Dutch paintings dating from about 1600 to 1800, and European sculpture.
The Old Masters collection is the most complete, with some 3000 works from the Dutch
and Flemish, Spanish, Italian, German, French and British schools between the 13th and
18th centuries. Importantly, the museum owns seven paintings by El Greco. Among the
most famous of all the works on display is the so-called
Esterházy Madonna
, painted by
Raphael, the supreme High Renaissance painter, around 1508. It is unfinished but still man-
ages to achieve the beauty and harmony for which the paragon of classicism is acclaimed. It
was among the 700-odd works that formed the original Esterházy collection.
Other sections include 19th-century paintings, watercolours, graphics and sculpture, in-
cluding some important impressionist works. The museum's collection of prints and draw-
ings is among the largest in Europe, with upwards of 10,000 prints and 10 times as many
drawings. At the very top of the building, the
European sculpture
room holds some won-
derful pieces, including the fascinating work of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.
Especially fine - and a real hit with children because of a program that allows them to
handle original artefacts and works of art from the period - is the collection of
Egyptian
artefacts
, including decorated sarcophagi and mummy portraits. Up a level on the ground
floor, the
classical section
contains Greek, Etruscan and Roman works. The collection of
Greek vases and urns ranks among the finest and most complete in Europe.
There's usually a couple of excellent temporary exhibitions going on at any given time; a
combined ticket will get you into everything. Free English-language tours of permanent col-
lections depart at 11am Tuesday to Saturday, 1pm Tuesday to Thursday and 2pm Tuesday to
Friday. Kids' sessions are held on Wednesday and Sunday between 10.15am and 1.15pm and
on Saturday between 2.15pm and 5.15pm.
