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In the 19th century, each of the national identities in the Kingdom of Hungary, at the heart of the Habsburg Empire, created its own historical narrative. Such was also the case, but more indirectly, with visual arts. The famous moments of the usable past, portrayed as a mythical golden age, were represented on the front of buildings in public spaces. They therefore reached out to larger audiences and strengthened the bonds of national identity. Soon enough, they became part and parcel of collective memory. The end of the century saw the attempt at going beyond this specific golden age to attain a more universal dimension.