Date of issue: 23 May 2007

The HNG is the largest public collection documenting and illustrating the movements and development of the fine arts in Hungary. It was founded on the Modern Hungarian Gallery of the Museum of Fine Arts, and on the Museum’s Hungarian material from the collection of modern sculpture and medals as well as its prints and drawings collection. It opened to the public on 5 October 1957 in the building of the former Palace of Justice on Kossuth Square, today the Museum of Ethnography. At the time its collection comprised 6,000 paintings, 2,100 sculptures, 3,100 medals, 11,000 drawings and 5,000 prints, and it has grown continuously ever since. In 1975 the HNG moved to Buildings B, C and D of the Royal Palace in Buda, specially converted for this purpose, since when it has also accommodated the material of the Old Hungarian Department of the Museum of Fine Arts. This enabled the whole history of Hungarian art from the 11th century to the present day to be shown together. In 1979 Gothic panel paintings and wooden sculptures, and Late Renaissance and Baroque art went on permanent display. In 1982 the permanent exhibition of Late Gothic winged altars opened in the former throne room of the Royal Palace. In 1985 the exhibition of Mediaeval and Renaissance stone carvings was opened, then in 1989 the crypt of Habsburg palatines went on view. In 2005 the exhibi-tion area was extended to Building A of the Royal Palace.

The stamp designs shown masterpieces from the HNG's collection: The Mystical Betrothal of St Catherine (c 1490); View of Rome (1835) by Károly Markó the elder; October (1903) by Károly Ferenczy, and Picnic in May by Pál Szinyei Merse (1873). In the design of the frame there are details of the Royal Palace housing the HNG. The first day cover features the distinctive dome, while the design of the commemorative postmark is of a female head adorning the façade over a passageway connecting wings of the palace. Source: www.mng.hu

Order code:
2007110030011/stamp block
2007110060012/FDC

Date of issue: 23 May 2007
Total face value: HUF 600
Number of copies: 200,000
Printing method: Offset
Perforated sizes: vertical stamps 30 x 45 mm, horizontal stamp 50 x 35 mm
Trimmed size: 170 x 65 mm
Printed by Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Designed by Orsolya Kármán