Országos Képtár

The National Picture Gallery was a national collection before the founding of the Museum of Fine Arts, whose basis was the Esterházy Picture Gallery. In 1871 the state purchased the material of the Esterházy Picture Gallery, which had been exhibited in the MTA building since 1865. The National Picture Gallery thus created was expanded in 1872 with the early Italian paintings of the Ipolyi collection, and in 1875 with the old material of the National Museum Picture Gallery. The collection grew significantly under the direction of Károly Pulszky. In 1894 the National Picture Gallery became part of the Museum of Fine Arts, after article VIII of the 1894 law stipulated its merger into the museum to be established.