Hungarian University of Fine Arts

The Hungarian University of Fine Arts (Hungarian: Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem) is the central Hungarian  art school in Budapest, Andrássy Avenue. It was founded in 1871 as the Hungarian Royal Drawing School (Magyar Királyi Mintarajztanoda) and has been called University of Fine Arts since 2001.

Until the mid-19th century, Hungarian artists were learning fine arts in Western European academies. The National Society of Hungarian Fine Arts (Országos Magyar Képzőművészeti Társulat) founded in 1861 was initiating the establishment of a Hungarian school of fine arts. Owing to this movement the Hungarian Royal Drawing School and Art Teachers’ College (Magyar Királyi Mintarajztanoda és Rajztanárképezde) was opened in 1871. The present-day building of the university was built in 1877, designed by Alajos Rauscher and Adolf Lang.

During the forthcoming decades the education has been getting more and more differentiated, not only painters and sculptors, but artist-craftsmen, mosaic- and gobelin-makers, stage-designers, costumers, restorers were graduating in the institute. In the history of the university always the most recognized Hungarian artist were to teach the students: Károly Ferenczy, János Vaszary, Viktor Olgyai, Róbert Berény, János Kmetty, Aurél Bernáth, Géza Fónyi, Jenő Barcsay, Gyula Hincz, Károly Koffán painters, Béni Ferenczy sculptor and other famous artists.