Budapest’s popular new museum: The Collector’s House!

“The Collector’s House” stands as Budapest’s newest private museum, nestled within the historic Kőrössy Mansion on Városliget Wooden Row. Since its opening six months ago, it has swiftly become a fashionable destination among visitors, with exclusive guided tours consistently fully booked.

According to Turizmus.com, all guided tour slots are currently reserved until May, but bookings for summer visits at the villa on Városliget Wooden Row are now available. This villa of “The Collector’s House”, once the lavish residence of architect Albert Kálmán Kőrössy’s family, is a magnificent example of Art Nouveau architecture in Budapest.

Guided tours in “The Collector’s House”

The villa underwent restoration a few years ago and was transformed into an exclusive private museum known as “The Collector’s House”, welcoming the public in autumn 2023. Guided tours are the only way to explore the villa, accommodating up to 15 visitors per tour.

Photo: FB / Liget Budapest

Furthermore, guests can gain valuable insight into the world of art collector András Szabó, discovering his motivations and the secrets surrounding the creation of the collection. According to Magdolna Költő, President of the ResoArt Foundation, “The Collector’s House” museum offers a comprehensive experience, transporting visitors back to the end of the 19th century through a showcase of architectural, applied arts and fine arts masterpieces.

The museum serves as a tribute to Alber Kálmán Kőrössy, the Art Nouveau villa’s history and the legacy of the Zsolnay family and factory from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Exploring the former quarters of the Kőrössy family, visitors to “The Collector’s House” can marvel at one of the world’s most significant collections of Zsolnay porcelain, boasting 570 pieces out of a total collection numbering a thousand.

Zsolnay’s prestige

According to Magyar Nemzet, an auction held last year at the Judit Virág Gallery featured exceptional artworks from the Zsolnay factory, many crafted for world exhibitions, rendering them unique or exceedingly rare. Most ceramics of museum quality hail from Zsolnay’s Art Nouveau era, making them highly coveted among collectors.

Photo: FB / Liget Budapest

This auction, marking the third thematic Zsolnay auction globally, had a significant impact on prices in the international and Hungarian Zsolnay markets, with prices surging by over 100% in a single day, as per the gallery’s reports.

With 68 artworks up for auction, bids poured in from America, Europe and Asia, with some prices nearing the 100,000 USD mark, setting a new record for the market.

István Törő, co-owner of the Judit Virág Gallery, highlighted the enduring value and escalating prices of Zsolnay artworks, underscoring their status as one of the most coveted ceramic brands worldwide, symbolising Hungarian cultural heritage revered and collected across all continents.

At the auction, conducted by Anna Kelen, remarkable prices were achieved for various rare Zsolnay ceramic pieces. For instance, an ornamental bird pot and a flowerpot adorned with elephant heads and tropical landscapes each fetched 28 million HUF (EUR 71,585), marking them as the auction’s priciest items. The Zsolnay factory’s mermaid business card holder saw a significant surge in value, selling for 15 million HUF (EUR 38,349) from a starting price of 3 million HUF (EUR 7,670).

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