Art collecting has become one of the success stories of culture in Hungary since the fall of the Wall. Setting apart the negative effects of the recent economic crisis, one can observe a steady expansion of private involvement in the art scene, with some of these developments pointing beyond local significance.

This paper examines the historical roots and the current structural characteristics of this surge, also aiming to place these factors in an international context briefly. Further research into art collecting in Eastern and Central Europe shall yield a more complete comparative regional study.

This publication is broken down into semi-independent chapters. By clicking on the relevant title, you will be linked directly to the given chapter. Each of these is illustrated with selected reproductions from private collections in Hungary.

For wider orientation, a few sources (catalogues, publications) are listed at the end.

I. Historical Background