Collection of Artist Relics

The collection of the KEMKI Archive and Documentation Centre (ADK) predominantly contains documents and photographs. Relics related to Hungarian artists make up a special part of the collection. Collecting objects linked to famous people and national heroes was an important element of Hungarian museum acquisition from the nineteenth century onwards. Prominent artists were surrounded by a veritable cult; elegant receptions and ceremonies were organised for them, and their funerals were held with great pomp, attracting huge crowds. Later, anniversary commemorations were regularly held to honour their memory. Thus it was only natural that, alongside artists’ works and documents, museums should also add artists’ belongings to their collections. Examples of venerated nineteenth century artists include István Ferenczy, Miklós Izsó, Mihály Munkácsy and Károly Lotz. Special or everyday objects connected to these artists and their work were first acquired by the Historical Treasures Collection of the Hungarian National Museum. From there, they were subsequently transferred to the Data and Relic Repository of the Museum of Fine Arts. Opened in 1920, the Repository stored the personal estates of numerous painters and sculptors. This collection then became part of the Data Repository of the Hungarian National Gallery in 1957, and continued to expand with the addition of objects from artists’ estates, acquired through donation or purchase. Since 2021, the material has in its entirety been held at the newly established KEMKI ADK. While it should be noted that this is not the focus of our collection building, we continue to receive personal memorabilia connected to artists, and regularly lend them out for exhibitions.

/Eszter Békefi/