Best of the Museum of Fine Arts
Nearly 120,000 art pieces, 113 years of history and 3 years of renovation. The Museum of Fine Arts, located in Heroes’ Square in Budapest is an important art scene not only for locals but for the International art-lover, showcasing Hungarian art from the prehistoric age to the 18th century. Beyond the permanent collections of artworks there are many temporary exhibitions held in the museum, too. It is true that the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts owns the richest, most exciting collections between Vienna and St. Petersburg which can be visited every day of the week except Mondays. The museum has an admission fee.
Michelangelo and Rubens in 2019
When visiting Budapest the Museum of Fine Arts is a must-see art scene for unmissable exhibitions, especially in 2019 when both Michelangelo and Rubens are exhibited in the museum. In April 2019 the first ever Michelangelo-exhibition will open in Hungary showcasing 30 drawings from the renaissance master amongst another 500 artworks of artists from the same age such as Leonardo, Raffaello or Bronzino. From October 2019 the second series of the earlier Rembrandt exhibition will be on show with more than 30 Rubens and more than 10 Van Dyck art pieces in the museum.
The Triumph of the Body.
Michelangelo and the 16th century Italian drawing
5th April 2019 - 30th June
The Hungarian art-loving crowd will meet Michelangelo’s unmissable art with 80 artworks being exhibited for the first time ever in Hungary this April. A number of Michelangelo's works of painting, sculpture and architecture rank among the most famous in existence. His output in these fields was prodigious; given the sheer volume of surviving correspondence, sketches and reminiscences, he is the best-documented artist of the 16th century.
In the centre of his art we find the human body. In this Budapest exhibition we’ll see 30 of his best works arriving from prestigious museums such us the British Museum, Uffizi, Louvre, Casa Buonarroti, Albertina, the Teylers Museum and Ashmolean Museum. The masterpieces, including the firsts drafts for the ceiling of Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgment are exhibited alongside the most talented contemporary artists like Leonardo, Raffaello, Signorelli, Pontormo, Bronzino, Salviati and Rosso Fiorentino.
Rubens and the best of Flemish painting
24th October 2019 - 16th February 2020
This autumn exhibition will detail the best of the 17th century painting with Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens. The exhibition, which presents a total of almost 120 artworks, borrowed its show pieces from some 50 large collections, including the Hermitage, the Prado, the Washington and the London National Gallery. Thirty Rubens and more than ten Van Dyck masterpieces will be shown alongside the works of other artists.
You will also see a piece of Rubens's large-scale Decius Mus series, The Revelation of Prophecy, which is accompanied by a special piece of cloth (Madrid, Palacio Real) woven with gold and silver, which will be the first joint show of the two masterpieces.
The main objective of the exhibition is to show the extremely powerful effect of Rubens' oeuvre, as well as the rich Flemish painting of the 17th century.
The renovation of Museum of Fine Arts
After 3 years of renovation, the Museum of Fine Arts, opened in late October 2018, since has hosted more than 100,000 visitors, who were mainly interested in the Romanesque hall that had opened again after 70 years, as well as the renewed permanent exhibition of the museum. After more than four decades of absence, Hungarian art has returned to its home, the Museum of Fine Arts, so the museum, along with the art of Egypt antiquity, now presents the history of universal and Hungarian art until the end of the 18th century.
During the greatest reconstruction of the museum's history, not only the museum building was renovated, but the museum's permanent exhibitions were reorganised returning to the original concept of the collection. The warehouse as well as the impressive Romanesque Hall, which suffered major damages during World War II were renovated; the museum's obsolete heating system was modernised, some of the exhibition halls were air-conditioned, most of the roof structure was renewed, and new exhibition, public spaces and modern storage spaces were created.
The spectacular revival of the Romanesque Hall is not always available during the opening hours of the Museum of Fine Arts so please check the website of the museum before visiting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kebVlodAhc
Exhibitions and programs
The Museum of Fine Arts offers amazing attractions for fans of arts and culture for a whole day or even for several days. If you want to comfortably view all the permanent exhibitions, collections and periodical exhibitions, you could plan more time exploring the impressive building and its treasures.
Permanent Exhibitions:
Ancient Egypt
Classic antiquity
European Sculpture 1350 - 1800
European Art 1250 - 1600
Art of Hungary 1600 - 1800
Collections
Egyptian collection
Antique collection
Old Photo Gallery
Old statue collection
Old Hungarian collection
Graphic collection
In addition to permanent and periodical exhibitions, the Museum of Fine Arts pays great attention to family and children's programs. In addition to museum education, a new development, the so-called Travel suitcase has been brought to life to introduce the museum world to children. The Travel Suitcase, full of skill puzzles, was specifically designed to meet the needs of 5 to 12 year olds. While children solve tasks one after another with parental support, their orientation, visual memory, and vocabulary are evolving.
The museum's evening and musical programs include music, dance, film, literature, theatre and fine arts: various artistic branches and genres, concerts, contemporary dance and theatre performances, guided tours, workshops and other activities will help visitors get the most of their artistic experience.
The Museum opens its doors to those who would like to discover the old and new masterpieces of the collection in the afternoon, accompanied by cinematic programs.
The museum is for everyone! Visitors requiring special assistance (visually impaired, hearing impaired, handicapped) will be provided with special guidance.
The Museum of Fine Arts offers art programs for all ages on 3 floors, with a museum shop and restaurant in the building. The shop is open to the public without a ticket, and the Fine Art Bistro café and restaurant can only be enjoyed with a valid museum ticket.
If you wish to have a classy lunch or dinner nearby with traditional Hungarian flavours and hospitality, Gundel Restaurant should be your first choice. Discover the country by its unique taste of food invented by a Bavarian born genius Károly Gundel who tamed Hungarian cuisine. Gundel is the restaurant where you can find traditional dishes based on original recipes, served in an exceptional ambiance.
Opening times and admission fees
The Museum of Fine Arts is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Monday. Exhibitions are open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Shop (without ticket): 10:00 to 5:45 pm, restaurant (ticket only): 10:00 to 5:30 pm.
Ticket prices: Full price ticket: 1600 Ft
Free admission: under 6 years, over 70 years, disabled people with 1 attendant, teachers in public education, journalists
Discounted Ticket Rate - 50%: Between 6-26 years, between 62-70 years, two adults accompanying their 18 year old family members.
Entrance tickets grant a one-time entry, always on the specific day.
Accommodation in 2019
We could always find a good reason to visit the gem of Budapest, the beautifully renovated Museum of Fine Arts. Whether it's an average weekend or a festive long weekend, Budapest is inviting you to visit with countless attractions and interesting programs. Budapest City Breaks are one of a kind and offer plenty to do for everyone. Choose accommodation in the city centre to easily reach all the best programs.
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