In connection with Renaissance Year 2008, the Museum of Applied Arts is presenting a prominent category of late 15th century Italian artistic production, namely majolica. These fine, colorful luxury ceramics were much favored by kings and princes. Beatrice of Aragon, the young wife of Hungary’s King Matthias I, surrounded herself with valuable and exceptionally beautiful creations of this kind.
The first part of the exhibition traces the history of tin-glazed ceramics from fragments from the Middle East to outstanding pieces from Italy. There are also tiny, finely painted fragments that have come to light in the course of archaeological investigations in Hungary. The main attraction of the exhibition is the magnificent set of Corvinus plates, from which only four pieces now remain. Embellished with the coats of arms of Matthias Hunyadi and his consort Beatrice of Aragon, they represent the apogee of 15th-century majolica art.
In a room connected to the exhibition we can see a selection of other pieces of Italian Renaissance art, such as the Medici tapestries designed by Raphael and a majolica floor consisting of more than 500 tiles and based on drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.
Dates: March 26 – June 30
Place: Museum of Applied Arts
1091 Budapest, Üllői út 33–37.
Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Tel.: +36.1.456.5108
