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Europe’s Best Art Center: Heroes’ Square in Budapest

Budapest’s Heroes’ Square is your one-stop shop for a look into the country’s unique background, development, and art culture.

Overview

In the middle of “Paris of the East” stands a central hub of history, culture, and political influence. Constructed in 1896, Heroes’ Square pays homage to Hungary’s original leaders and the nation’s reverence for strength, valor, and prosperity. The square’s iconic Millennium Monument is sandwiched between the Hall of Art and Museum of Fine Arts. Surrounding the pillar, you’ll find nine statues which represent powerful figures in Hungarian history. An attraction of its own, Heroes’ Square is an ideal starting point for anyone who wants to experience Budapest’s culture.

Hall of Art

On the right side of the Millennium monument lies the city’s groundbreaking Hall of Art, or Műcsarnok Kunsthalle in Hungarian. This historic building houses original pieces from the world’s most renowned contemporary artists and visionaries.

Photo by Balázs Both

Established in the 19th century, the Hall of Art continues to be a cornerstone of Hungarian and international contemporary art. This institution prides itself on its cutting-edge approach to trends and current events in the world of art and culture. The building’s streamlined architecture fits right into the aesthetic of Heroes’ Square. Representative of its homestead, this museum is another landmark that has withstood the test of time.

Based on the German Kunsthalle operational standard, this museum maintains temporary exhibits while opting out of owning permanent collections. This gives the institution the ability to regularly circulate their pieces, giving the visitor a different experience on each visit.

The gallery’s rotating exhibits feature the best of Hungarian fine, contemporary, and architectural art. Whether you’re seeking a glimpse of the past or a reflection of the present, you could spend hours perusing the halls of this museum.

Museum of Fine Arts

Across the square, opposite the Hall of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts welcomes visitors to explore an expansive vault of globally recognized treasures. From the Romanesque Hall, to the Renaissance Hall and Baroque Hall, visitors are guided through the history of European architecture and sculpture. Follow wherever your feet take you, with curiosity, and explore plaster replicas of sculptural masterpieces like The Golden Gate of Freiberg Cathedral, the Venetian wellheads and a bust of Torretti. Find the Doric and Ionic wings to take you to the museum’s temporary exhibits. The museum’s permanent collection is organized into categories: Egyptian Antiquities, Classical Antiquities, Old Master Paintings, Sculptures, Prints and Drawings, Old Hungarian Collection and The Library.

The Baroque Hall at Museum of Fine Arts Budapest. Photo by Gabor.

Egyptian Antiquities

This permanent collection organizes over five hundred artifacts in three thematic units: Temples – Gods, The Nile Valley – People, and Tombs – The Dead. Each installation has a color scheme to correspond with ancient Egyptian symbolism; Temples – Gods is painted blue, symbolizing heavens, rebirth, fertility, and life. The Nile Valley – People is painted sand-colored, symbolizing the place of transition between the desert and the fringes of the Nile Valley. Tombs – The Dead is enshrined in gold, harkening on the ancient Egyptian belief that when reborn in the netherworld, the dead became golden-colored, divine beings. Explore everything from mummy masks and a bronze votive statuette of Imhotep, to Egyptian hieroglyphs and protective amulets.

Photo by Museum of Fine Arts Budapest

This impressive collection was a result of Hungary’s efforts to acquire its pieces through art dealers, aristocrats, and collectors who passed through the region. Some pieces were acquired by diplomats and wealthy travelers, while others were unearthed directly at the source over the last century. After WWII, the museum’s Egyptian collection continued to grow from the generous donations of patrons, as well as additional archaeological efforts.

Previously, these artifacts were scattered all across Hungary. Once the Museum of Fine Art opened their Egyptian exhibit in 1934, the majority of these pieces were consolidated into a permanent collection five years later. Since 1939, the collection has been rearranged in 1972, 1996, and 2013.

Classical Antiquities

As a beacon of Hungarian culture and history, the Collection of Classical Antiquities is the only comprehensive collection of ancient art in the entire country.

This collection is an exhibit as well as a research center, with more than 6,000 individual pieces. These artifacts, combined with the minds behind their curation, help us to build a composite of the world that previously existed during their respective lifetimes.

In addition to Hungarian pieces, the collection of Classical Antiquities also includes Greek, Etruscan, Greco-Roman artifacts. This exhibit is also home to multiple internationally recognized pieces, including Raphael’s Esterházy Madonna. 

Esterházy Madonna, Raphael, 1508. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Old Master Paintings

Across nearly 3,000 paintings, the Museum of Fine Art features some of the world’s most influential and revolutionary artists. Renowned works from the hands of Giorgione, Jacob Jordaens, Franz Anton Maulbertsch, and John Constable.

Many of these pieces are remnants from powerful Hungarian rulers and leaders, as many were a part of their personal collections. Hungarian art collecting is a custom with deep roots, and this portion of the museum serves as a symbol of that past.

Since WWI, the Old Master Paintings section has acquired the majority of its pieces through donations and private collections.

Sculptures

Károly Pulszky started this collection (even before the Museum of Fine Art was established) by purchasing at least 120 schedules in 1894-1895. This initial investment would later be the foundation of the museum’s sculpture segment.

At one point, the museum focused on acquiring replicas instead of original art pieces. Now, the collection has grown to include many original works from artists such as István Ferenczy and Agostino di Duccio.

Self-portrait, István Ferenczy, 1830. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Prints and Drawings

The print and drawings exhibit was built largely from the Esterházy Collection, which contained 3,535 drawings and 51,301 prints.

Prior to the 1950s, international and Hungarian prints were maintained in the building that still stands as the Museum of Fine Arts. But, they were moved to the Hungarian National Gallery until the two organizations merged again in 2012. Now, this part of the museum is home to iconic pieces from artists like van Gogh, Picasso, and Delacroix.

Old Hungary

The Old Hungary collection is a diverse mix of sculptures, architectural carvings, paintings, and historical artifacts. All pieces were either made within Hungary’s borders, or on Hungarian commission if created abroad.

A blend of traditional and trendy, this collection stands to display Hungary’s social history, aesthetic style, and long-held relationship with the art world. The Old Hungary collection maintains literal pieces of churches, monasteries, and urban buildings that once stood on Hungarian soil. Among these artifacts are winged altarpieces, which makes up the largest collection in Central Europe.

Historical Library

With more than 250,000 items, the Museum of Fine Art boasts one of the most impressive art libraries on the entire continent.

While it isn’t the shiniest portion of the museum, it’s an immeasurable resource for in-depth and accurate research. Originally serving mainly as a study room for the museum’s staff, it’s now a public library.

The Museum of Fine Arts also has a wide variety of exhibitions, a few of which are kept on a permanent basis: Halls of the Museum of Fine Arts, Ancient Egypt, Classical Antiquity, European Art 1250-1800, European Sculpture 1350-1800, Variations on the Baroque – Art in Hungary 1600-1800.

Whether you’re in the mood to look into the lens of history or reinterpret the present, Heroes’ Square is an excellent starting point for any art buff. Across Central Europe, you won’t find a more impressive and unique collection of Hungarian and international pieces.

[Written November 2017, Updated February 2025]

Cover photo: Sodel Vladyslav / Shutterstock

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