Mihály Zichy Memorial House in Zala, Somogy County

Close to main roads,
to Lake Balaton,
to Siófok, Balatonföldvár
or Kaposvár…
… but the hills of Somogy county
hide Zala or as many people call it,
Zala Village, „Zalafalu”.
Mihály Zichy,
the „Prince among Draughtsmen”
started his career a century and a half ago
from this more than 700-year-old village
with beautiful nature and well-endowed land.
Mihály Zichy,
the „Prince among Draughtsmen”
Mihály Zichy was scion of the ancient Zichy family, which can be traced
back to the 13th century. The members of many branches of the family
were counts and proprietors of large estates. Mihály Zichy descended
from the oldest branch of this illustrious family, the gentry, not the
aristocratic branch, which had fallen on hard times.
Legends surround the figure of the artist. He
is first of all famous for his incomparable
draftsmanship, but his life full of romantic
events even inspired a novel.
His most famous painting, „The Triumph of the Demon of Destruction”,
caused a huge scandal at the 1879 world exhibition in Paris. This enormous
stunning painting shows the rulers of Europe and the Pope, conducted as it
were by the diabolical Demon, at war with each other.
„A Mother’s Grief (Closing of the Coffin)”
(1846)
„Descent from the Cross”
(1847)
He illustrated Hungarian literary works:
Madách's “The Tragedy of Man”,
and János Arany's ballads,
which are well-known to every Hungarian.
„In the Paradise”
(Scene 2)
„In Paris”
(Scene 9)
„In London”
(Scene 11)
„Outside the Paradise”
(Scene 15)
„Inauguration of the Bridge”
„Calling to the Bier ”
He traveled to Georgia in 1881 and lived there for a year and a half. In the
museum, there is an exotic Georgian room with his Georgian furniture, which,
inlaid with mother-of-pearl and copper and goldsmith's work, shows off this
creative Caucasian people. In this room can also be seen a rare shaman
costume. The weapon collection includes Albanian, Caucasian, Turkish, Arab,
Egyptian, Bedouin, and Circassian firearms.
He became one of Georgia’s national heroes
by illustrating Rustaveli’s famous epic,
„The Knight in the Tiger Skin”.
He supported himself and his large family as court painter to four czars of Russia.
He made thousands of drawings and aquarelles of the festive and
ceremonial occasions of the czar's court, as well as the czar's hunting expeditions.
In Paris, he is the perennial president
of the Hungarian Society.
His drawings of Scottish hunting scenes adorn
the walls of the royal castles in Scotland.
He is a world-famous artist.
During his adventurous life,
he always returned to the manor-house
which is a memorial museum today.
Mihály Zichy Memorial House in Zala
Visit the center of the world!
8660 Zala, Zichy Mihály u. 20.
Tel.: 84/320-607
Open:
From May to the end of October from 10 o’clock to 18 o’clock
From November to the end of April from 10 o’clock to 14 o’clock
Closed on Monday
www.smmi.hu