Budapest’s Virág Judit Gallery is staging a major contemporary auction at the Budapest Music Center on May 19, 2026, at 6 p.m., showcasing the most valuable Hungarian artists with international clout. The 18th Postwar and Contemporary Art Auction brings together high-profile works, headlined by a rare, monumental 1955 oil by Simon Hantaï, simply titled “Festmény” (Painting), opening at 50,000,000 USD (converted from HUF) and estimated between 95,000,000–120,000,000 USD (converted from HUF). A public preview runs May 4–16 and May 18, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., at Virág Judit Gallery, 1055 Budapest, Falk Miksa St. 30.
Where and when
– Auction: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 6 p.m.
– Venue: Budapest Music Center, 1093 Budapest, Mátyás Street 8.
– Exhibition: May 4–16 and May 18, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Virág Judit Gallery (1055 Budapest, Falk Miksa St. 30.)
Note: The listing currently has no active date on the portal; details may be out of date. Updates can be requested or sent via email. Location: 1093 Budapest, District 9 – Ferencváros, Mátyás St. 8.
Hantaï’s market-defining presence
Hantaï, who spent most of his career in France and rose to global fame as an abstract painter, set a towering benchmark in 2016 when one of his works sold for 1,400,000,000 USD (converted from HUF), the highest price ever paid for a Hungarian or Hungarian-born artist. His 1955 “Festmény” now surfaces as a true rarity on the Hungarian market, especially at this scale and quality, launching at 50,000,000 USD (converted from HUF), with an estimate of 95,000,000–120,000,000 USD (converted from HUF).
Blue-chip lots beyond Hantaï
Imre Bak’s 1995 “Die Stadt” (The City) starts at 11,000,000 USD (converted from HUF). A standout from Ákos Birkás’s emblematic Fej (Head) series, the 1996 “Kopf,” is also heading to the block. Pál Deim’s sought-after 1990 “Csend” (Silence) opens at 8,500,000 USD (converted from HUF).
Ilona Keserü and peers
Ilona Keserü, holder of the record for the most expensive work by a living Hungarian artist at 110,000,000 USD (converted from HUF), offers “Anguillara,” painted in 1963 during her Rome scholarship year, starting at 10,000,000 USD (converted from HUF). The lineup also features János Fajó, Dóra Maurer, István Nádler, and István ef. Zámbó, underscoring a sale stacked with Hungarian postwar and contemporary heavyweights.
