A Thousand Years of Hungarian Masterpieces

Fülszöveg

The authors of this volume have not produced this important collection of Hungárián masterpieces in order to prove the existence of somé kind of characteristic Hungárián art. Amongst works of art which are both extant and accessible preference has been given to those which have an intrinsic value, whether by virtue of their aesthetic excellence or of their quality as historical monuments. Evaluation of art is as subject to changing fashion as anything else; the compilers of this volume have tried to maintain an independence in their judgements, although they would not claim any permanent validity for them. Their book alsó bears witness to the tastes, attitudes and sentiments of the era in which we live. Yet their prime aim is to let the masterpieces speak for themselves, or, to be more precise, to enable the reader to make their acquaintance, however cursory. They leave to the reader the question as to what can be judged a reflection of European styles and what an expression of somé... Tovább

Fülszöveg

The authors of this volume have not produced this important collection of Hungárián masterpieces in order to prove the existence of somé kind of characteristic Hungárián art. Amongst works of art which are both extant and accessible preference has been given to those which have an intrinsic value, whether by virtue of their aesthetic excellence or of their quality as historical monuments. Evaluation of art is as subject to changing fashion as anything else; the compilers of this volume have tried to maintain an independence in their judgements, although they would not claim any permanent validity for them. Their book alsó bears witness to the tastes, attitudes and sentiments of the era in which we live. Yet their prime aim is to let the masterpieces speak for themselves, or, to be more precise, to enable the reader to make their acquaintance, however cursory. They leave to the reader the question as to what can be judged a reflection of European styles and what an expression of somé national character. It is their belief that these works are influenced by national characteristics at least to the extent that a large number are unintentional expressions of them. Hungárián masterpieces of a thousand years are the fruit of a species of history, whose roots often extend even further back into the past and draw their nutrients from the soil sustaining it, but whose foliage is continually exposed to the winds and storms of the big wide world outside. Vissza