FINE ARTS AND CRAFTS COLLECTION
The fine arts exhibition originated from the Lyceum and contained quality paintings and drawings of famed European artists.
The collection was moved to the castle and opened its doors in 1958 as Eger Picture Gallery and remained unchanged until 2014. The collection contained 16th-18th century Italian, Dutch, German, Austrian, Spanish, and French paintings and paintings by 19th-century Hungarian baroque painters from Eger (most notably Mihály Kovács). The museum also adapted its acquisition strategy to its existing items, purchasing the works of renowned European artists. We showcased our special items here in Eger and at prominent European and American museum exhibitions. In 1984 we purchased the sacral collection of Zoltán Szilárdfy, a significant addition. The so-called “nun works” are central to this collection.
The museum is also proud of its contemporary art collection. We showcase and purchase items from the National Watercolour Biennale (started in 1968 and becoming a Triennale in 2007) that represents Hungary’s watercolours from 1970 up until the present day. These items have been shown in various countries such as the Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, France, Poland, and Romania/Transylvania. A catalogue of these items is now available thanks to the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.
We regularly add the works of local artists and university staff to the collection.
We also collect works of the applied arts, while it is worth mentioning that significant pieces from the late-modern period are in the Historical Collection. Hutterite and post-Hutterite pottery, pewter, art nouveau jugs and bowls from the Bélapátfalva earthenware factory also form part of this collection. The pieces from the Parád glass factory cover several decades and fulfil different functions. The Baroque apothecary items include medicine, powder, and liquid storage pots and the internal fittings of Eger pharmacies and are unique in terms of their range and historical significance. The furnished apothecary named after Bishop István Telekessy was founded in the early 1700s by the Jesuits and now serves as a museum.
The remaining 34 panels from the coffered wooden ceiling of Noszvaj Calvinist church, which was taken down in 1928, are also on display. They are thought to have been made in the second half of the 17th century, but the inscriptions on them suggest that they were repaired in 1700 and 1734.
