Art Collection of Vác
The Pannónia House was originally a guesthouse and manorial pub which even Sándor Petőfi visited as a travelling actor. The building was first mentioned in the historic sources in 1718. Today it houses the Art Collection of Vác and a register office for marriages.
Visitors are welcomed by the works of Gyula Hincz in the corridors, the staircase and the great hall. His paintings, known all over Europe, with their rich colours and tonality guide the viewers the virtual world of fantasy. It is for a reason he is called the Paganini of painting. His Constructivist paintings were among the best in the Hungarian and continental art of the 1930's. His contemporaries referred to him as the Hungarian Picasso. His oeuvre cannot be divided into periods, his art is one arc. Hincz was not only a painter but also a graphic artist, ceramist, illustrator and sculptor. Visitors are impressed by his large sized works of art. Due to their atmosphere and modernism, they resemble the art of the 21st century. The ceramics of István Gádor, Magda Gádor and Géza Gorka can be seen in the basement while the statues of Sándor Nagy, and the "Fairy Garden" of Andrea Vertel are located in the courtyard.
The cast iron collection showcases the masterworks of European iron casting. Counting nearly 500 items, the collection presents religious items, crosses, and also secular objects and tools of everyday civic life: statues, inkstands, furnaces, mortars and pestles, kitchen equipment from the 16th century to the 20th century.
Works of bookbinder György Váczi are presented in the exhibition called "Life bound in gold". Walking through the exhibition, visitors can see the stages of bookbinding and restoration, tools of the craft and learn about the innovative methods of Váczi. He was the most popular bookbinders of the country and he even renovated books for the royal court of England. Among his many works are prints, albums, registers.
The exhibition "Sugar Island" contains the monumental buildings of Béla Haraszti, the Cathedral of Vác, the Triumphal Arch - all made of sugar. The confectioner began his career in the famous Café Gerbeaud but as a professional he visited most of the countries of Europe. In the collection he gave to the museum, there are confectioner's tools, machines but also exhibited are his awards and prizes. His oeuvre, a treat for those with a sweet tooth, is exhibited in a separate room.