Bright skies, stormy times

The Kovács Gábor Collection covers art from the beginning of the 18th century to the 1950s. The main direction of the fine art material is represented by the masterpieces of naturalistic landscape painting expressing the classical ideal of beauty, which are harmoniously connected to the works displaying other themes. 

Now the collection is presented in Ankara with a special selection that guides the visitor through one of the most exciting centuries in the history of Hungarian painting. The 19th century is the era of the consummation of becoming a nation in Hungary, which includes the civilizing aspirations of the reform era, the events of the 1848 revolution and war of independence, then the period of national resistance against Austrian oppression, and finally the decades of dynamic development following the compromise with the Habsburg Monarchy. Parallel to the political, economic and social changes, culture, including fine arts, is experiencing its heyday again. By the end of the century, the basic conditions for artist training and art trade were gradually created, and the majority of artists returned home after completing their studies abroad and strived for an independent existence at home, thereby raising Hungarian art to European standards.