Budapest, Hungary — TWO remarkable things happened in Budapest around 1900: The city shot up almost overnight, and Art Nouveau arrived, reshaping the face of Hungary's capital along glorious new lines.
It was a happy coincidence for Budapest then and for visitors now, especially those who have a passion for Art Nouveau, which put its richly ornamental stamp on buildings, furniture, glass, ceramics, textiles and jewelry.
People make special trips to see Art Nouveau -- to Prague, Czech Republic; Paris; Brussels; and Barcelona, Spain, but they rarely think of Budapest, known more for its old castle, a medieval set piece overlooking the Danube River. Beyond it, though, another ravishing Art Nouveau Budapest awaits, testifying to the city's blossoming and the beauty of the style that marked it.
At the time, Art Nouveau was swirling across Europe replacing such staid, derivative styles as neogothic with idiosyncratic architecture and gracefully abstracted floral motifs. It took distinctive forms in the many countries where it became popular. The style incorporated themes from folk culture and mythology in Germany, where it was known as Jugendstil. In France, where architect Hector Guimard created writhing, wrought-iron entrances to the Paris Metro, it was more floral and feminine. In Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi turned the facades of buildings into melting ice cream.
Hungarian Art Nouveau, especially as practiced by architect Odon Lechner, had an operatic, almost cartoonish flair, though the style's various tendencies all soon arrived in Budapest and blended. It was a wide-open canvas for the modern style, a city growing like a colt economically and culturally, the Continent's Chicago.
Today, instances of Art Nouveau are widely scattered throughout the city, which means long but tonic walks and rides on subways and trams for those seeking them.
The city's remarkable growth -- in the 25 years that preceded the turn of the 20th century, the population tripled and the number of buildings doubled -- was spurred by a variety of factors. The Compromise of 1867 figured chief among them. It made the country an almost equal partner in a dual monarchy ruled by Austrian Emperor Franz Josef, who was crowned king of Hungary the same year. Financial institutions and foreign capital flowed into Budapest. It got a sophisticated drinking-water system, electric trolleys, an opera house, parliamentary building, broad boulevards and a city park.
