District, I. 2-6 Ybl Miklós Square – Budapest
The latest joint exhibition by the Museum of Fine Arts, Hungarian National Gallery and the Castle Headquarters, hosted in the heart of Budapest at the Várkert Bazár, evokes the essence of sun-drenched Italy and the “dolce vita” lifestyle. Italy has drawn travelers for centuries; its magical allure stems from a combination of factors: the proximity of the sea, brilliant sunshine, exquisite food and drink, sites of antiquity and Christianity, iconic Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and the art treasures housed in its museums and churches.
This free open-air exhibition is on view until mid-October on the ramp leading to the Gloriette.
Through the works of Hungarian artists, the exhibition brings the Mediterranean summer, the Italian spirit, and the travel experiences that shaped artistic perspectives to the banks of the Danube. Italy is not merely a travel destination but a recurring source of inspiration and a constant motif in Hungarian art—one that can even be detected in the depiction of domestic themes.
Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka painted “Coastal Town” during one of his trips to Sicily; the work depicts the colorful, tightly clustered houses of Scilla and the Castello Ruffo—a strategic fortress overlooking the Strait of Messina, towering atop a rocky crag. Gazing at the painting, one can almost hear the incomparable murmur of the waves and smell the salty sea air. The seaside also inspired Vilmos Aba-Novák to create art; his work “Harbour” features a lineup of colorful sailboats. Antal Ligeti’s “Isle of Capri” captured the beauty of the blue sky and the dazzling azure sea, as did Pál Szinyei Merse’s painting *Mare Azzurro*.
Iconic Italian destinations inspired numerous Hungarian artists: for instance, Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka and János Vaszary both immortalized the Sicilian town of Taormina on canvas, while Mátyás Triznya and Pál Molnár-C. painted the columns of the Roman Forum. István Csók captured a symbol of Amalfi—one of Italy’s most picturesque towns—in the form of its distinctive lemon variety: the elongated, rough-skinned “Amalfitano.”
The exhibition also features paintings by Béla Kontuly, István Pekáry, Gyula Kosztolányi Kann, and Károly Patkó, as well as a photograph by Frigyes Géza Haller, a prominent figure in Hungarian photography.
The open-air exhibition was curated by Adrienn Prágai, an art historian at the Hungarian National Gallery (MNG). The displayed posters are housed in ten illuminated frames, offering a magical experience—even during an evening stroll, within the rose-scented Neo-Renaissance Garden of the Várkert Bazár.
Descriptions accompanying the artworks are available In Hungarian AND in English as well.
More programs to visit will be coming up soon.
Update by Aggie Reiter
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