The 20th century permanent exhibition dealing with the most important artists and aspirations until the end of the Second World War is located on the recently renovated second-floor of the museum. The time period we concentrate on is 1896 to 1945, with 150 paintings, 30 statues and 200 coins.

The foundation of the museum coincided with significant changes in the course of Hungarian history, the development of the national consciousness of the New Age, the spreading of the civic notion of freedom. In 1802 the Count Ferenc Széchényi asked for permission from the Emperor to give his collection in connection with Hungary to the nation. He received permission, thus we take this time to be the year of the foundation of the Hungarian National Museum.