Treasures from Budapest: European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele, Royal Academy | reviews, news & interviews
Treasures from Budapest: European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele, Royal Academy
Treasures from Budapest: European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele, Royal Academy
A rich goulash: an exhibition that will exhaust and delight
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/71c6ea8d47a07b984512669ea9c348f7.jpg?itok=bpC1FlH1)
Treasures from Budapest – phew! It’s overwhelming. One staggers out quite cross-eyed and wobbly-kneed. There are over 200 works, for heaven’s sake. And so many Virgins: sweet-faced Italian Madonnas, austere Eastern European Madonnas, pallid German ones. There’s a tiny, exquisite yet unfinished Raphael Madonna, known as The Esterházy Madonna, since much of the collection of Old Masters shown here was amassed by Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy. Oh, and there’s the stubby-nosed, chinless Viennese one by an unknown altar-piece painter (such an arrestingly odd face; are her eyes actually going in the same direction?). She can’t compete in the beauty stakes, but you’re spoiled for choice in the line-up.
Treasures from Budapest – phew! It’s overwhelming. One staggers out quite cross-eyed and wobbly-kneed. There are over 200 works, for heaven’s sake. And so many Virgins: sweet-faced Italian Madonnas, austere Eastern European Madonnas, pallid German ones. There’s a tiny, exquisite yet unfinished Raphael Madonna, known as The Esterházy Madonna, since much of the collection of Old Masters shown here was amassed by Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy. Oh, and there’s the stubby-nosed, chinless Viennese one by an unknown altar-piece painter (such an arrestingly odd face; are her eyes actually going in the same direction?). She can’t compete in the beauty stakes, but you’re spoiled for choice in the line-up.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Visual arts
!['Supremely strange wall-mounted objects': part of Laura Aldridge's installation at Jupiter Artland](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/laura%20aldridge%20installation%20view%201%20by%20author%20%282%29small_0.jpg?itok=C8MKlSNg)
![Installation view of Revelations, 2024 by Judy Chicago at Serpentine North](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Chicago%201.jpeg?itok=NChDbymF)
!['The Roll Call', 1874 by Elizabeth Butler](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Now%20Elizabeth%20Butler%2C%20The%20Roll%20Call%2C%201874.jpg?itok=uzso8Rkh)
!['Muse', 1910](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Muse%2C%201910%204R00900_1000x1000_0.jpg?itok=mLF188qF)
![Gabriele Münter Listening (Portrait of Jawlensky), 1909](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Blue%20Gabriele%20Mu%CC%88nter%2C%20Listening%20%28Portrait%20of%20Jawlensky%29%2C%201909.%20Lenbachhaus%20Munich%2C%20Donation%20of%20Gabriele%20Mu%CC%88nter%2C%201957%20%C2%A9%20DACS%202024_0.jpg?itok=s_89ZOza)
!['Max Bill teaching Theory of Forms at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich', 1946, by Ernst Scheidegger](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/07.%20Ernst%20Scheideggersmall.jpg?itok=gw2iAMIl)
![Stephen Giddings playing himself](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/STEPHEN_Control%20Room%20Portrait_Still001_0.jpg?itok=h-nJZ6R5)
![View of the Boulevard du Temple, taken by Louis Daguerre in 1838 in Paris](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Fantastic%20Machine%20-%20PC%20Louis%20Daguerre.jpg?itok=hg0bFKZH)
![Yinka Shonibare CBE: Suspended States, 2024. Installation view, Serpentine South.](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Yinke%20statues%20.jpg?itok=vKcVo5vd)
![Jane Harris, 'Familiars' series, from left to right: 'Sidekick (diptyque)'; 'Consigliere'; 'Devil's Advocate (diptyque)', 2014-2018](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/l%20to%20r%20Familiars%20-%20Sidekick%20%28diptyque%29%20%282014%29%3B%20Familiars%20-%20Consigliere%20%282018%29%3B%20Familiars%20-%20Devil%27s%20Advocate%20%28diptyque%29%20%282014%29small.jpg?itok=ED09Mdet)
!['Sargent and Fashion' Installation view with 'La Carmencita', c.1890 and costume](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/9.%20%20Sargent%20and%20Fashion%20Installation%20view%20with%20La%20Carmencita%2C%20c.1890%20and%20costume.%20Photo%20%C2%A9%20Tate%20%28Jai%20Monaghan%29%29%20copy.jpeg?itok=K9NHNFTV)
![Zineb Sedira still from 'Dreams Have No Titles' 2022](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/3.%20Zineb%20Sedira%20Still%20from%20Dreams%20Have%20No%20Titles%20at%20the%20Venice%20Biennale%202022%20%281%29.jpg?itok=siKUR2Vn)
Add comment