Budapest’s Hungarian National Gallery is opening a luminous window onto the work of Adolf Fényes (Fényes Adolf, 1867–1945), one of the most sensitive and versatile Hungarian painters at the turn of the 19th–20th century. The memorial exhibition, The Images of Silence: Adolf Fényes, brings together a stylistically rich, thematically varied selection that threads sunlight through humble interiors, animates market scenes with fairytale energy, and treats everyday life as seriously as any grand historical tableau. Guided tours explore the temporary show alongside related works in the permanent collection. Venue: 1014 Budapest, Szent György Square (Szent György tér) 2. Note: the photo is protected by the Museum of Fine Arts – Hungarian National Gallery’s copyright.
On-Site Guided Tours: The Art of Adolf Fényes
– February 7, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM
– February 21, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM
Across Fényes’s landscapes and intimate interiors, the tours ask how a peasant courtyard can coexist in the shadow of French Impressionism, what a colorful veranda in Szolnok has to do with Paris, and what these more-than-century-old genre scenes reveal about the simple joys and sorrows of the era’s people. Duration: 60 minutes. Maximum group size: 17. Meeting point: information desk. Participation requires a ticket to the temporary exhibition plus a tour program ticket priced at 1,500 HUF (approximately 4 USD).
Online Tour: Enter the Exhibition from Home
– February 10, 2026, 7:00–8:00 PM
Experience the memorial exhibition live on Zoom as the guide leads you through Fényes’s quiet, radiant moments—from work dignified by light to interiors that whisper stories. The same questions animate the hour: how rural life and Impressionist currents intersect, how Szolnok converses with Paris, and what the genre scenes say about Hungarian peasant life. After the session, you can independently explore the virtual exhibition space for one week—zoom in on artworks, read wall texts, and revisit content at your own pace. Participation fee: 1,500 HUF per person (approximately 4 USD). Maximum capacity: 90. Length: 60 minutes.
Curator Tour with Ágnes Horváth
– February 15, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM
See the memorial exhibition through a curator’s lens. Horváth highlights how Fényes’s sunlit rooms, everyday labor, and modest scenes stand shoulder to shoulder with biblical or historical imaginings. Expect the same resonant thread: the rural courtyard beside Impressionism, Szolnok’s interiors in dialogue with Paris, and what these enduring images reveal about ordinary happiness and hardship. Participation requires a temporary exhibition ticket plus a tour program ticket priced at 1,500 HUF (approximately 4 USD). Duration: 60 minutes. Maximum group size: 20. Meeting point: information desk.
The Taste of Sunlight | Curator Tour with Edit Plesznivy
– February 28, 2026, 3:00–4:00 PM
This chamber exhibition walkthrough surveys Fényes’s career through emblematic masterpieces representing key periods. It also touches on his family background, student years, patrons and professional supporters, and the classical sources that nourished his art. Participation requires an exhibition ticket and a tour program ticket priced at 1,500 HUF (approximately 4 USD). Duration: 60 minutes. Maximum group size: 20. Meeting point: information desk.
Budapest dates to note: February 10, 15, 21, and 28, 2026.
