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| Fortunato Depero |
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Unlike Krakow where the crowds dominate the streets, Budapest swallows them up. Turn the Danube into the Bosphorus, a few church steeples into minerates, and you have Istanbul. I'm that impressed. Like Istanbul it's large and hard to know where to begin, so I walked in the direction of the Danube and wasn't disapointed. Across the Danube, towers the Hungarian National Gallery, featuring in its main gallery only Hungarian artists. I didn't know a single artist, but the art was of such a high quality, I expected to see a Renoir or a Pissarro among the impressionists, or a Picasso or Braque among the cubists; but these were Hungarian artists, and Hungarian artist only. They did, however, have a special exhibit of an Italian futurist, Fortunato Depero, who, regretfully. I hadn't heard of before although he exemplifies the styles of some of my favorite artists; Leger, Picasso, Escher, and I guess I could throw in a little Kandinsky as well. From the top floor of the Gallery I climbed to the dome from which I had a spectacular view of the Danube and the city of Budapest - afterwards dinner in one of the many outdoor restaurants that line banks of the Danube.
