(Stained Glass Window, Miksa Roth)
Miksa Roth was a stained glass artist for the Imperial and Royal Court who lived from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. Although he specialized on medieval and classic stained glass paintings, he was one of the pioneers of art nouveau in Hungary. Miksa Roth was also famous for producing mosaics which earned him two grand prizes and one silver medal in the World Exhibitions of the early 20th century. By 1908, his great and outstanding mosaics had already earned him a position as a member of the International Jury for World Exhibitions – that is how good he was!
Roth learned the technique of his art from his father. He opened his own studio 1885 and developed his style from the medieval stained glass painting tradition. He became the best antique glass painter and mosaic artist in Hungary and his works can be seen from the sidewalls of Saint Stephen Basilica, here in Budapest to the church in Mariensdorf, Burgenland, Austria, the Royal Palace of the Netherlands, and even the glass dome of the Teatro National, Mexico.
(Rising Sun. Mosaics. 1900)
One unique thing about Miksa Roth is the employment of a pragmatic and progressive mind in his works. This could be seen in the way that although he trained and developed himself as a medieval stained glass painter – which he never compromised – he nevertheless took the development and perfection of the art nouveau in Hungary, combining both elements to create his style. His progressive mind, intelligence, hard work and experimentation with art styles paid off when he became the first to apply Tiffany-glass for glass windows in the Art Nouveau within the boundaries of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
Without being seen as overemphasizing or singing the praise of an outstanding and highly talented artist, I would recommend that you visit his museum at Nefelejcs utca 26, 7th district and see for yourself how good and influential he was for his contemporaries and the art nouveau in Hungary. The museum building was also Miksa Roth’s residence and you can see his personal collections, see how he lived and feel his spirit.
The general information is as follows:
Miksa Róth Memorial House
(Róth Miksa Emlékház)
1078 Budapest, Nefelejcs utca 26.
Opening hours:
between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.,
Tickets can be bought until 5.30 p.m.
Closed on Monday!
