"The Prince and the Paper" at the Israel Museum

Born in Vienna, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II (1765–1833) belonged to one of Hungary’s wealthiest and most revered aristocratic families. He continued his family’s tradition of art patronage, establishing an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, prints, neoclassical sculpture, minerals, and books.

Now the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, brings to the public an important exhibition of the collection of Nicolas II Esterhazy (1765-1833), a patron of the arts whose collection found its permanent home at the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

Entitled The Prince and the Paper. Masterworks from the Esterhazy Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, and focusing on 16th – 18th century prints and drawings of the German, Italian, French and Netherlandish schools, the exhibition features works by Carracci, Cranach, Durer, Fragonard, Poussin, Raphael, Rembrandt, Tiepolo, and Veronese, among others.

The exhibition is curated by Meira Perry-Lehmann, Michael Bromberg Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings and the collection is curated by Zsuzsa GondaCurator of Prints and DrawingsMuseum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

Available for viewing until July 1, 2011 at the Rena (Fisch) and Robert Lewin Gallery, this is the first in a series of Israel Museum exhibitions showcasing private art collections that were donated to public institutions.