340 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
Fifteenth-century majolica floor, Budapest History MuseumHungarian
National Gallery 1
Magyar Nemzeti Galéria
Royal Palace, Szent György tér 2.
Map C3. Tel (01) 439 7325. @ 5,
16, 78, Várbusz. # 10am–6pm
Tue–Sun. & 8 to arrange for an
English-speaking guide call (01) 439
Established in 1957, the
Hungarian National Gallery
houses a comprehensive
collection of Hungarian art
from medieval times to the
20th century. Gathered by
various groups and institu-
tions since 1839, these works
were previously exhibited
at the Hungarian National
Museum (see p352) and the
Museum of Fine Arts (see
p354). The collection was
moved to the Royal Palace
(see pp338–9) in 1975.
The gallery houses six
permanent exhibitions, com -
prising the most valuable
and critic ally acclaimed
Hungarian art in the world.
Highlights include religious
artifacts spanning several
centuries, Gothic altar pieces
as well as Renaissance and
Baroque art.
The collection is spread
over three floors. On the
ground floor are early stone
and Gothic exhibits, including
sculptural and archi tectural
fragments discovered during
the reconstruction of the Royal
Palace. Among the star exhi-
bits are a carved stone head
of King Béla III, from c. 1200,
the Madonna of Bártfa
Budapest History
Museum 2
Budapesti Történeti
MúzeumRoyal Palace, Szent György tér 2.
Map C3. Tel (01) 487 8800. @ 5,
16, 78, Várbusz. # 16 May–15 Sep:
10am–6pm daily; 16 Sep–Oct & Mar–
15 May: 10am–6pm Wed–Mon;
Nov–Feb: 10am–4pm Wed–Mon. &
7 http://www.btm.huThe Budapest History
Museum, also known as Castle
Museum, holds an interesting
collection of artifacts relating
to the city’s development.
The Royal Palace was
damaged during World War II
and during its reconstruction,
chambers dating from the
Middle Ages were uncovered
in the south wing. These
remarkable rooms, including
a prison cell and a chapel,
have been recreated in the
base ment and pro vide an
insight into the character of a
much earlier castle within
today’s Habsburg recon-
struction. They now house an
exhibition on the palace’s
medieval history, with
weapons, seals and other
early artifacts.
The museum also has an
interesting display on
Budapest in the Middle Ages,
illustrating the evolution of the
town from its Roman ori gins
to a 13th-cen tury settle ment,
and one on Budapest in mod-
ern times tracing the city’s his-
tory from 1686 to the present.The Visitation (1506) by Master MS,
Hungarian National Gallery
(1465–70) and the Madonna
of Toporc (c. 1420). Orig inally
crafted for a church in Spiš
(now part of Slovakia), it is
a fine exam ple of medieval
wood sculp ture in the
Gothic style.
Late-Gothic, Renaissance,
Baroque and 19th-cen tury
artifacts share the first floor.
The Visitation (1506) by
Master MS, a fragment of
a folding altar piece from a
church in modern-day
Slovakia, is a delightful exam-
ple of late-Gothic Hungarian
art. Several works by Mihály
Munkácsy, widely regarded as
Hungary’s great est artist, show
the devel op ment of 19th-
century his toricist art and the
influ ence of Impressionism.
The Woman Bathing (1901),
by Károly Lotz, better known
for his frescoes, is one of the
best examples of Neo-Classical
painting in Hungary. The
painting reflects Lotz’s fascina-
tion with the work of the
French painter Ingres.
Another impressive work of
art is the elaborately decorated
fold ing St Anne altar piece (c.
1520) from Kisszeben.
Works from the 20th century,
including paintings and exhi-
bits from the Art Nouveau era
as well as the Expressionist,
Surrealist and avant-garde
movements, are all showcased
on the second floor. Those
by painter Tivadar Kosztka
Csontváry give a unique,
idiosyncratic vision of the
world. Temporary exhibits are
housed on the third floor.For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp390–93 and pp394–7