MUNKÁCSY Mihály
(1844–1900)

TWO FAMILIES IN THE SALON

1880
Oil on panel
Private collection of Imre Pákh

There were several privately owned art galleries in New York in the nineteenth century. The most magnificent was probably that of William H. Vanderbilt, who, in December 1883, opened his mansion at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 51st Street to the public. The million-dollar collection focused on classic nineteenth-century French paintings. Two Families in the Salon, painted in 1880, was shown in this distinguished setting. Even Munkácsy was enthralled by the collection when he visited America: “I was surprised by the excellence of the collection. With the exception of M. Secretan’s collection in Paris, and that of Richard Wallace in London, I do not know of any gallery so rich in chef d’oeuvres of modern art. I imagine this must be the most handsome collection in America …”