Budapest, a city of colours

Zsolnay architectural cheramics in Budapest

The architecture of polychromy was a separate chapter in the history of modern architecture which appeared on polychrome facades of historical revival styles following to the detection of the fact that antique Greek buildings had been painted with multiple colours.

Although Budapest, a metropole of revival styles and Art Nouveau, is not quoted in literature as a place of polychromy, a unique abundance of polychrome views is offered here for visitors: Budapest is a genuine city of colours.

The activities of the Zsolnay Ceramics Factory and the founder, Vilmos Zsolnay himself symbolize the rushing development that took place in architecture of Budapest during the last third part of 19th century. The inventions developed under the personal direction of Vilmos Zsolnay such as pyrogranite and eosin played decisive role in manufacture of architectural ceramics, too and turned Budapest into a world of natural colours.

More than 200 buildings decorated with Zsolnay ceramics were erected in Budapest during the period between 1875 and 1914. Some of these buildings are respected as outstanding works in the history of Hungarian architecture.

Zsolnay architectural ceramics were applied by almost all leading architects of this period such as Miklós Ybl, Aladár Árkay, Ödön Lechner or Béla Lajta.

Zsolnay architectural ceramics are presented and grouped in a new context and on the exhibition of Ernst Museum, demonstrating how coloured ceramics were proved to be a workable, flexible material (and durable and weatherproof, at the same time) for the architects of this period wishing to achieve equivalent external and internal ornamentics.

In the first unit of the exhibition architectural ceramics surviving in Budapest are presented in chronological order. Present day photographs in this part show how ceramics survive on facades. Detailed sample drawings of architectural ceramics in original books from the Zsolnay Factory are presented here. Most of ceramics on display here are duplicate copies made by the Zsolnay Factory. These copies have never been displayed on buildings. Another group of objects displayed here represent original surviving ceramics that are not situated on their original buildings but elsewhere.
The second unit gives a foretaste of the works of Ödön Lechner and his followers. An architect full of unique ideas, Lechner was influenced by the ceramics ornaments of oriental architecture.

The objects of art were lent for this exhibition by the following organistions:
Baranya Megyei Levéltár
BKV Rt. Infrastruktúra Főfelügyelőség Építmény- és
Alagútfenntartó Szolgálat
Budai Református Egyházközség
Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár Budapest Gyűjtemény
Incoronata
Janus Pannonius Múzeum Zsolnay Gyűjtemény, Pécs
Kiss László
Lágymányosi Helytörténeti Gyűjtemény
Langa Bt.
Magyar Építészeti Múzeum
Postamúzeum
Simon László
Zsolnay-Porcelánmanufaktura RT.
2006. January 8. - February 19.

Ernst Museum

Tickets
2006. January 5. - January 29.
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