AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1972. Budapest (1975)

III. Könyvtörténeti és művelődéstörténeti tanulmányok - Kelecsényi Ákos: Egy magyar régiségkereskedő a 19. században. Literáti Nemes Sámuel (1794-1842) - A Hungarian Antique pealer in the 19th Century. Sámuel Literáti Nemes (1794-1842)

A Hungarian Antique Dealer in the 19th Century Samuel Literati Nemes (1794—1842) ÁKOS KE LEOS ÉN

YI In Hungary it was at the end of the 18th century that the collection of works of art began to flourish in the middle classes as well. Modern agriculture and large-scale building enterprises have brought to light a great deal of treasure lying so far hidden in the earth. Both the dissolution of the monastic orders during the reign of JOSEPH II and the disorder caused by the Napoleonic wars have mobilized a large number of works of art. The National Museum founded by Count Ferenc Széchényi at the beginning of the 19th century has similarly drawn attention to historical relics. It was the work of these art collectors and especially the most eminent of them, Miklós JANKOVICH that Samuel LITERATI NEMES had helped with his activity as an antique dealer. The young man born in Transylvania has not received any special education. It is due to the interest of his age he was living in that his attention was called to the trade of works of art. He set up an antique shop first in Kolozsvár (Cluj) and later in Buda; at the same time he was all over the country, moreover, he travelled through Austria, Croatia, Dalmatia and Venice to find relics concerning Hungarian past. His merit is that as a consequence of his activity a great number of Hungarian historical relics have found their way into public collections serving as a safe shelter for them. Considering this fact his forgeries — making his name undeservedly notorious —lose their significance. He died in 1842 in Komárom while on a tour searching for antiquities. The exact estimation showing to what extent his collecting activity has contributed to public collections in Budapest has not been made as yet. 327