Szinyei-Merse Pál [antikvár]

SZ ÍNYEI - MERSE PÁL 1845"I92° In the second part of the last century, Hungárián art reaped a rich harvest. Hardly a year passed which was not marked by somé great achievement, by at least one remarkable event in the history of Hungárián art. A number of prominent masters were at work at home and abroad whose production was to furnish a rich collection of classical works. The roots of this efflorescence reach back to the beginning of the 19th century when the Hungárián fine arts awoke to new life. Nourished by the fresh forces of national movements, the middle class began to grow and develop. Soon it threw off the fetters of provincialism, the consequence of centuries of colonial status under the Habsburgs, and gained in strength and self-confidence with remarkable rapidity. In a few decades it was able to look back without shame upon its remoter past, upon the basilicas of St. Stephen, the churches of Ják and Lébény, upon the art of the Kolozsvári brothers, ofthe Master M. S., upon the castles of King Mathias in Buda and Visegrád and others, and, what is more, it could measure its art with that of greater and wealthier nations that had suffered less from historic catastrophes. Yet how many were the difficulties our art had to contend with! The ''Imperial city", the "Kaiser-stadt', devoured the immense incomes of the Hungárián magnates who played there the role of time-serving courtiers, so that very little remained for the support of Hungárián art. Apart from that, the social basis of our art was far from favourable being, on the one hand, dependent on a bourgeoisie of alien roots, and, on the other, on a squirarchy or landed gentry that could boast of little culture. Although the progressive part of the latter class were militant supporters of the national movements, they were nevertheless unable to take up the cause of the creation of a national art because of their very moderate artistic and cultural aspirations. But even if this had not been so, the economic depression following in the wake ofthe Napoleonic wars would have made impossible any substantial contribution, any considerable financial sacrifice, for the fostering of our national art. Life itself, however, brought with it the necessity for creating a national culture and produced alsó the necessary men for the task. Our first notable artists made their appearance, and, while most