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The Seuso Treasure is one of the finest hoards of Roman silver ever discovered. what is the seuso silver treasure? The Seuso Roman silver Treasure, in the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, consists of 14 stunning pieces of late imperial Roman tableware: Four huge platters, variously decorated; a washbasin; five…
On art and culture in the post-Napoleonic ageโand how this relates to society today. โBiedermeier Lifestylesโ is the title of an exhibition currently running at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. It is a title that will possibly need explanation. In Hungary, people know what Biedermeier means. It is a…
The latest title in the Blue Danube imprint, which focuses on literature, history and travel in Central Europe, is Venetian Angel, a short novel by Ferenc Molnรกr, now translated into English for the first time. Molnรกr was a famous pre-war dramatist whose many plays included one on which the Rodgers…
Lost Prestige, by historian, diplomat and former Hungarian Foreign Minister Gรฉza Jeszenszky, now published in English translation, is a book about reputation. Using British perceptions of Hungary in the years leading up to the First World War, it seeks to examine more broadly the relationships between states, and how international…
How many of us today, while methodically washing our hands in the hope of staving off Covid-19, think of Ignรกc Semmelweis? How many of us have even heard of him? Semmelweis (1818โ65) is not widely known around the world but he is a familiar name in Hungary. Budapest’s medical school…
A rare treat for lovers of portraiture: a small show entirely dedicated to the work of Philip de Lรกszlรณ (1869โ1937) is currently running at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. On the face of it, this should not seem altogether surprising. Hungarian gallery exhibits works by Hungarian artist. Not a…
Readers of these blogposts might have noticed our interest in the Seuso Treasure. We freely admit it. After all, these fourteen pieces make up what is arguably the finest trove of late imperial Roman silver in existence. And now, in a keenly-awaited move, it has become one of the permanent…
The brand new Blue Guide Hungary Food Companion is now out. A handy lexicon of Magyar food vocabulary, with a miscellany of culinary information (and a few traditional recipes) thrown into the pot alongside. Hungary typically has blisteringly hot summers but curiously no real summer cuisine. A cold fruit soup…
This summerโs most charming show in Budapest is an exhibition at the Capa Center of colour photographs by Jacques-Henri Lartigue (1894โ1986). Lartigue, the son of an amateur photographer, received his first camera at the age of nine, a present from his father. He went on to take photographs all his…
Anna Bornemisza (c. 1630โ88) was the daughter of an army captain, a noblewoman in her own right and, by marriage (in 1653, to Mihรกly Apafi), Princess of Transylvania. The story of her husbandโs family, and the turbulent times they had to deal with, is covered in Blue Guide Travels in…
Istvรกn Czifray was the nom de plume of Istvรกn Czรถvek, master chef at the court of the Palatine Joseph, Habsburg governor of Hungary in the early 19th century. Czifrayโs book of recipes and household tips (including instructions for making perfumes and pomades) first appeared in 1816. Soon to be entitled…
In some ways รgnes Zilahy (1848โ1908) is the Mrs Beeton of Hungarian cookery. Her publications of recipes, along with tips on household management, made her a household name in her own lifetime and her Valรณdi Magyar Szakรกcskรถnyv (Real Hungarian Cookery), a book of explicitly Hungarian dishes (i.e. not derived from…
The title of this engaging small exhibition, on show at the Museum of Trade and Tourism (MKVM) in Budapest, celebrates the centenary of the famous Gellรฉrt hotel and baths. Housed in magnificently tiled and decorated late-Art Nouveau halls, the baths are one of the most popular destinations on every touristโs…
โSome are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.โ Shakespeareโs famous line from Twelfth Night might well ring in your ears as you go round this exhibition at the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest: Unsung Hero, an examination of the achievements and legacy of Arthur…
“Matthias is deadโnow books will be cheap in Europe!” Thus Lorenzo the Magnificent is said to have exclaimed on hearing of the passing of the King of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, in 1490. Matthias , who became king aged 15 in 1458, can fairly be said to have led the way…
The age of graceful living, in the closing years of the 20th century, is vividly evoked in the newly-reopened villa of the Hungarian collector Gyรถrgy Rรกth. Rรกth was director of the Hungarian Museum of Applied Arts between 1881 and 1896 and during his tenure, the museum collection was augmented with…
โThose who Built Budapestโ is the title of an absorbing one-room exhibition currently on show at the Budapest History Museum (in the ex-Royal Palace on Castle Hill) and prolonged until September. The title of the show deliberately doesnโt use the word โarchitectโ. The lens through which the city is viewed…
โCrowded Timesโ is the title of an exhibition of posters currently running at the Hungarian National Museum (until 25th August). The works chosen all come from the museumโs extensive collection and span the period from 1896, the year of the Magyar Millennium (when Hungary celebrated 1000 years of existence), to…
โThe Heartwarming Middle Agesโ (Szรญvmelegรญtล Kรถzรฉpkor) is the title of an appealing small exhibition running at the Budapest History Museumโs Buda Castle site until September. The forerunner of the ceramic stove is thought to have originated in Alpine Switzerland sometime in the early Middle Ages, when simple clay pots were…
World Art Nouveau Day this year is celebrated on 10th June. In part to mark the occasion but also to honour the centenary of the death of Otto Wagner and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Marcell Komor, FUGA: Budapest Center of Architecture, in conjunction with the Hungarian Museum…