Mihály Kolbe was born on 9th August 1907, Légrád. He began to deal with fine arts in the circle of Vilmos Aba Novák and Károly Patkó. Between 1925 and 1931 he studied at the Fine Arts Academy. As a student of Oszkár Glatz he went on a study trip to Italy in 1926 and Paris in 1931. Later he moved to Mohács. In 1933 he obtained the MArcell Nemes itinerary scholarship and went to Italy for three months.

In 1939 he made a large fresco for the funeral office of the Roman Catholic church in Mohács. Between 1954 and 1957 he made a mosaic composition for the pulpit and walls of the Memorial Church in Mohács. In 1959 he completed a special work - experimented by himself - in the lecture hall of the Obstetrical clinic in Pécs.

In 1975 he was elected freeman of Mohács and in 1979 he gained the Janus Pannonius prize.

In 1982 his collection of 90 works was shifted into the ownership of Mohács. This collection makes up the core material of the exhibition. Mihály Kolbe was alive at the time of the opening of the permanent exhibition, but unfortunately a few months later he died. The exhibition represents 17 oil paintings, 28 graphics and 3 cemented works made by the master.