17th Century Italian Drawings in the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts [antikvár]

History of the Collection of 17th Century Italian Drawings in the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts The Budapest Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum)' opened its gates to the public in 1906. It was established on the occasion of the millennial celebration of Hungary in 1896, to house works of art, mainly old master paintings and graphic art, from nearly all the most significant periods. Aldiough its scope has been widened since the time of its foundation - today it can present ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art as well as modern paintings and sculptures from the middle ages up to the present day - its strength has remained old master paintings, drawings and prints of the leading European countries, among them Italy. The Depart^nent of Prints and Drawings^ is the largest of the museum in numerical terms, consisting of around 100,000 items, of which the number of drawings has risen to approximately 8,000. The collection of old master drawings represents almost all the major artists and schools of European art, the Italian schooP being one of the most comprehensive and most valuable of all, numbering about 1,200 sheets. The proportion of the different regional schools in the museum's 17th-century Italian material reflects the art historical significance of the different regions in Italy of the time, and naturally also reflects the taste and knowledge of former collectors, who contributed to the creation of this collection. The Emilian school - and within it mainly the Bolognese - prevails with more dian the half of the material overall, numbering 180 pieces. Second in number is the Roman school with 76 sheets. The Tuscan - mainly Florentine - group is die third with 29 drawings. Lombard (Milanese), Neapolitan, Genoese and Venetian schools are less well represented numerically, their number being 17, 16, 15 and 14 pieces, respectively. The majority of the I7th-centxiry Itahan drawings -more than 200 pieces, which means almost two thirds of this group - derives from the Esterházy Collection, as the collector's marks with NE monogram testify." Being the first source and the nucleus of the whole collection of the museum, the 3,535 Esterházy drawings were purchased by the Hungarian State in 1870, together with 637 paintings and 51,301 prints as well as 305 illustrated books, from a descendent of the main collector of the family, Prince Nicholas Esterházy (1765-1833).® He was a rich landowner, diplomat and commander of the Hungarian Guards, brought up in a powerfiil family with a great tradition in taste and collecting. His ancestors were commissioners of magnificent casdes and palaces with sumptuous furnishings and objects of historical interest from the 17th century on. His grandfather, Prince Nicholas the Bright, was a patron of Joseph Haydn, the latter acting as conductor in his court at Esterháza. Through individual purchases from art dealers as well as acquiring whole collections Prince Nicholas assembled a historically balanced collection of drawings, in which major artists of all the significant periods of European art were represented. The composition or overall shape of the collection of 17th-centiuy Italian drawings is basically also due to him. His curator was die Viennese engraver Joseph Fischer (1769-1822), who assisted and advised the prince in his acquisitions. The whole collection of drav^^ngs was gathered largely during the first three decades of the I9th century. Several pieces originated from well-known earlier collections, such as that of Antonio Cesare Poggi (1744-1836), Italian painter, engraver, and editor acting mosdy in London and Paris,' who once owned 77 items of the Esterházys' 17th-century Italian drawings. The prince acquired them fi-om Poggi in Paris in 1811, together with a large group of outstanding Italian, German and Nethedandish Renaissance drawings. Poggi assembled ' Pogány - Baclier 1956; Garas 1998, see also for former literature ' Vayer 1957; Gerszi 1968; Washington 1985; Gerszi 1988; Gerszi 1999 ' Budapest 1930; Budapest 1960; Budapest 1963; Venice 1965; Fenyő 1965; Bologna 1989; Stuttgart 1990; Budapest 1990; Czére 1990; Budapest 1992; Budapest 1998; Rome 2002 ' L. 1965, 1966 ^ Frankfurt 1999, see also for former literature ' L. 617; Gonda 1999