Until the mid-19th century, Hungarian artists were learning fine arts in Western European academies. The National Society of Hungarian Fine Arts (Országos Magyar Képzőművészeti Társulat) founded in 1861 was initiating the establishment of a Hungarian school of fine arts. Owing to this movement the Hungarian Royal Drawing School and Art Teachers' College
(Magyar Királyi Mintarajztanoda és Rajztanárképezde) was opened in 1871. The present-day building of the university was built in 1877, designed by
Alajos Rauscher and
Adolf Láng. In later decades, the school developed programs for training not only
painters and
sculptors, but
artist-craftsmen,
mosaic- and
gobelin-makers, stage designers,
costumers, and
restorers. Numerous prominent Hungarian artists taught there, including the painters
Károly Ferenczy,
János Vaszary,
Viktor Olgyai,
Róbert Berény,
Aurél Bernáth,
Jenő Barcsay, and
Márta Lacza; sculptor
Béni Ferenczy and other notable artists.
Presidents from 1871 == Buildings ==