Miklos Barabas (1810–1898) was one of the most influential Hungarian painters of the 19th century and a central figure in shaping Hungary’s visual identity during the Reform Era. Born in Transylvania, he studied in Vienna and later traveled to Italy, where he refined his academic technique and developed a restrained, elegant realism. Barabas became renowned primarily as a portraitist, capturing leading writers, politicians, musicians, and cultural figures of his time. His portraits combined technical precision with psychological sensitivity, presenting sitters with dignity and clarity rather than theatrical drama. Beyond painting, he was active in lithography, helping disseminate images in an era before photography was widespread. Barabas also played an important institutional role in Hungarian art life, contributing to the development of art societies and cultural organizations in Pest and Budapest. Through both his artistic output and public engagement, he helped construct a visual record of a nation seeking cultural and political self-definition. Today, he is remembered not only as a master portraitist but as a chronicler of 19th-century Hungarian society.