Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 2. (Budapest, 1974)
Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs en 1972
does not see difference between the thematic categories of fine arts and applied art. As we know, the next 1973 year in the Calendar of the history of art will be again the year of a great international congress: the CIHA 23 d meeting of worldwide importance, will be held in Granada, in September. We hope, that the universal and national research of the history of applied art will be again worthly represented in course of discussions concerning the newest researches and results — with the deserved participation of the Hungarian historians of applied art. I am opening the scientific conference of the centenary session." Dans le cadre de la session scientifique M. Antal Gönyei, directeur de la division du musée du Ministère des Affaires Culturelles a tenu son discours sous le titre de ,,L'avenir du Musée des Arts Décoratifs". "At the Centenary Exhibition of the Museum of Applied Arts visitors may view the Charter which was immured behind one of the marble slabs embellishing the façade on October 25, 1896, the day of the building's inauguration. The Charter has preserved for posterity the motives underlying the urgent need for establishing the Museum at that time. The inauguration of the building meant the consummation of a process commenced in 1872, when the National Assembly voted a grant of 50.000 florins for the advancement of the collection of applied art. By that time a store of treasures of applied art had already been accumulated in the Department of Numismatics and Antiquities of the Hungarian National Museum, apt to form the nucleus of an independent Museum of Applied Arts or, by its contemporary denomination, a Museum of Industrial Art. As a result of increasing industrialization, the advancement of the art of industry also came into the focus of interest, The urgent need for the preservation and care of objects of applied art was accordingly also felt, constituting a specialized branch of research of the history of art, and of art collections. The Director of the Hungarian National Museum, Ferenc Pulszky, and the archaeologist Flóris Römer, Keeper of the Department of Antiquities in the National Museum, were the foremost advocates of the establishment of the Museum of Industrial Art. A Committee headed by Károly Keleti was also formed with a view to furthering the cause of the museum; it was the son of Ferenc Pulszky, Károly Pulszky, under whose directorship the first publication and the first public exhibition of the Museum were arranged. Converted in 1878 into a Government Institution, the Museum of Applied Arts was formed and entrusted to the leadership of György Rath, a distinguished collector of excellent taste. Under Rath and his successor, Jenő Radisics, who took over in 1887, the Museum acquired a high reputation throughout the continent. According to Radisics's objectives the Museum was to serve the advancement of art education of the broad masses. A number of notable exhibitions as well as series of lectures attracting thousands of listeners were organized under Radisics, who proved an open-minded, capable leader during the 30 years of his directorship. At that time the rank and importance of the Museum already called for separate building; in a public competition, the jury awarded the first prize to the design presented by the architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos. Lechner's name has become closely associated with the building of the Museum. He created a grandiose palace, intermingling the architectural decoration with elements of oriental style, yet attempting to express also the national character in his architecture. The building of the 207
