Szépművészeti Múzeum – Museum of Fine Arts

The Szépművészeti Múzeum stands with quiet authority on Hősök tere (Heroes' Square), facing the Műcsarnok (Palace of Art), and edging into Városliget city park.  The zoo and the Széchenyi Baths sit nearby, making this one of the city’s most culturally dense corners.

The museum occupies a dignified neoclassical building designed by Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Herzog.  Construction began in 1896 as part of Hungary's millennium celebrations and concluded in 1903.  Its proportions seem carefully considered and balanced, serving as an appropriate container for a collection that benefits from slow, attentive observation.

Inside, the holdings are extensive and impressive. Paintings and sculptures cover centuries and regions, with works by Pablo Picasso, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Marc Chagall, Oskar Kokoschka, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, and Auguste Rodin. 

Temporary exhibitions are often a highlight and worth checking in advance.  On a recent visit, a major exhibition dedicated to Alphonse Mucha, titled In Praise of Women, proved unexpectedly moving and stayed with me long after leaving the building.  It was the kind of show that redefined familiar work through emphasis and context. 

The museum is easy to reach by metro, with a stop directly at Heroes’ Square.

photo © Gryts

Szépmûvészeti Múzeum
+36 1 469 7100
41 Dózsa György út, Budapest 1146, Hungary
www.szepmuveszeti.hu