Born in Somogy County, Mihály Zichy (1827-1906) came from the non-aristocratic line of the distinguished noble Zichy family. His first real success came when Tsar Alexander II appointed him his court painter in 1859 for his aquarelles painted on the occasion of the coronation of the new monarch.
For the next fifteen years, his main commissions included the depiction of daily life of the tsar and of the Imperial family as well as arresting the moments of hunts, banquettes, balls and receptions.
Convinced that art was not simply meant to give enjoyment, but to express truth as one of the main driving forces of civilization, Zichy’s “homecoming” was as the illustrator for Imre Madách’s epochal book, The Tragedy of Man, which fully cemented his name forever in the memory of his nation. His existing pieces, with their extraordinary precision and skill, truly reflect the graphic talent and dexterity of the artist.
Time: December 14, 2007 – March 23, 2008
Place: Hungarian National Gallery / Magyar Nemzeti Galéria
1014 Budapest, Szent György tér 2. (Buda Castle)
Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm
Tel.: +36.1.201.9082
