Hands that create meaning.
EXPRESSION
Creativity given form — gestures that communicate imagination, emotion and voice.
These gestures belong to artists, writers, musicians, performers, and allegorical figures whose work gives form to human imagination.
The hand of chronicles
Historical figure and era
Anonymous, or Master P., was the nameless notary of a Hungarian king—probably Béla III—who wrote the Gesta Hungarorum around 1200, the first major narrative of the Hungarians’ conquest and early history. Almost nothing certain is known about his life, yet his chronicle has profoundly shaped how later generations imagined Hungary’s origins, blending facts, legends, and political messages into a sweeping narrative.
Creation and historical context
Miklós Ligeti’s 1903 statue in Városliget translates this paradox into bronze: the chronicler’s body is solid and present, yet his face disappears beneath a deep hood, leaving only the writing hand and the open book clearly visible. Created at the start of Budapest’s “first golden age,” when the booming capital was busy monumentalizing its past, the work gives the medieval origin story a striking modern urban presence.
Statue by Miklós Ligeti, November 8, 1903. [5]
Anonymous statue
The hand of counsel
Historical figure and era
Ferenc Kölcsey (1790–1838) was a poet, critic, statesman, and one of Hungary's leading intellectuals of the Reform Era. Best known as the author of the national anthem, Himnusz, he also promoted moral responsibility, education, and national renewal through his writings and public service, helping shape Hungarian political and cultural thought.
Creation and historical context
Ede Kallós's statue, unveiled on June 11, 1939, depicts Kölcsey in a calm, contemplative pose. Seated with a book on his lap, he leans slightly forward, conveying attentiveness rather than distance. Behind him appears one of his best-known lines: "Hass, alkoss, gyarapíts: s a haza fényre derül" ("Act, create, enrich, and the nation shall rise into light"). The monument was erected at a time when literary figures were often presented as moral exemplars. Kölcsey does not address the viewer with dramatic gestures. Instead, his hands rest on the book, suggesting reflection, learning, and the enduring power of ideas.
Statue by Ede Kallós, June 11, 1939. [54]
Ferenc Kölcsey statue
The hand of poetry
Historical figure and era
János Arany (1817–1882) was an epic poet and master storyteller who elevated Hungarian literature through his narrative poems and more than a hundred ballads, rich in folklore and psychological insight. His famous Toldi trilogy and works such as “The Bards of Wales” weave historical themes and questions of identity into vivid verse.
Creation and historical context
Alajos Strobl’s 1893 statue depicts Arany seated with a manuscript and pen, emphasizing the craft of writing rather than a heroic pose. Unveiled before the National Museum, it anchors the poet in the institutional heart of Hungarian culture. The relaxed yet focused posture suggests poetry as both everyday work and an imaginative leap. Visitors gathering around the figure become part of the audience Arany continues to address through his texts.
Memorial by Alajos Strobl, May 21, 1893. [16]
János Arany Memorial
The hand of the poet
Historical figure and era
Mihály Babits (1883–1941) was a major Hungarian poet, essayist, and translator of the early 20th century, central to the Nyugat literary circle that helped define modern Hungarian literature. His work, ranging from introspective lyrics to essays engaging European intellectual currents, made him a key mediator between Hungarian culture and broader literary modernism.
Creation and historical context
László Marton’s statue of Babits, unveiled in 2008, marked the 125th anniversary of the poet’s birth and was created in a democratic, post‑socialist Hungary that was reassessing its cultural canon in public space. The monument has become associated with a more personal, approachable image of the literary classic, emphasizing movement and human scale rather than pedestal‑bound solemnity.
Statue by László Marton, November 26, 2008. [30]
Mihály Babits statue
The hand of reflection
Historical figure and era
Attila József (1905–1937) was one of Hungary’s most important 20th‑century poets, known for socially conscious, emotionally intense verses rooted in poverty and urban life. His 1936 poem “At the Danube” reflects on identity, history, and the flow of human time as he sits on the riverbank in Budapest, weaving personal experience into the fate of the Hungarian people.
Creation and historical context
László Marton’s 1980 statue places the poet on stone steps by the Danube near the Parliament, hat in hand, coat beside him, his gaze turned toward the water. Created during the late socialist period, it gives a previously censored, later celebrated writer a quiet, contemplative presence at the heart of the state, echoing the poem’s setting and mood. The statue invites passersby to pause at the river’s edge and consider how individual lives and collective history continue to flow together along the Danube.
Statue by László Marton, December 22, 1980. [7]
At the Danube - Attila József statue
The hand of spring
Historical figure and era
Jenő Grantner (1907–1983) was a sculptor known for his elegant forms and steadfast commitment to a classical language at a time when many contemporaries were turning toward abstraction. This bronze figure of a young woman welcoming spring reflects his search for pure beauty and direct emotional expression, conveyed through light, fluid gestures rather than monumental pathos.
Creation and historical context
Completed in 1979, during the later decades of state socialism, the work offers a deliberately apolitical, lyrical subject at a moment when many public sculptures still served overt ideological purposes. Placed quietly among the multistory buildings of Józsefváros, it introduces a moment of softness into a dense, often austere urban environment, setting human scale and calm movement against concrete, traffic, and façades.
Statue by Jenő Grantner, 1979. [3]
Spring statue
The hand of desire
Historical figure and era
Imre Soós (1930–1957) was a Hungarian actor who won the Jászai Prize and died young while playing the male lead in the 1956 film Merry‑Go‑Round. The statue captures a moment from the film, in which his outstretched hand and forward‑leaning body convey intense longing and emotional tension.
Creation and historical context
Director Zoltán Fábri, working under the cultural regulations of the Rákosi era, made films that formally complied with socialist realism while pushing its boundaries through dynamic dramaturgy and poetic montage. In Merry‑Go‑Round, this approach left a lasting mark on Hungarian cinema and inspired many directors in the decades that followed. Péter Párkányi Raab’s 2002 statue turns a fleeting cinematic gesture into a lasting image of desire, uncertainty, and possibility in public space.
Statue by Péter Párkányi Raab, 2002. [8]
Imre Soós statue
The hand of candor
Historical figure and era
Hilda Gobbi (1913–1988) was one of the most fascinating, original, and popular figures in Hungarian theater and film, known for her direct manner and strong stage presence. Active in public life, she often remarked that actors “always engage in politics” because they address their audience from an elevated position.
Creation and historical context
Péter Párkányi Raab’s 2002 statue depicts Gobbi seated, casually drawing a cigarette from its pack, capturing a moment of everyday candor rather than a formal performance. The work also alludes to her efforts to improve actors’ lives, including the creation of an actors’ museum, home, and dormitory. The empty chair beside her suggests an open conversation, as if there were always room for one more voice in the exchange she began.
Statue by Péter Párkányi Raab, 2002. [9]
Hilda Gobbi statue
The hand of transformation
Historical figure and era
Manyi Kiss (1911–1971) was one of Hungary’s most beloved stage and film actresses, known for her comic virtuosity, tragic depth, and distinctive voice in mid‑20th‑century Hungarian theater and cinema. Rising from provincial beginnings to the ensembles of leading Budapest theaters, she became a key figure across popular and high culture, remembered for roles that moved effortlessly between fairy‑tale lightness and hard social reality.
Creation and historical context
Sándor Kligl’s bronze statue of Manyi Kiss, placed near the National Theatre, was part of a broader effort to honor 20th‑century cultural icons in public space. Its intimate scale and lightly stylized, fairy‑like character shift the focus from grand monumentality to the subtle, fleeting magic of performance. Visitors encounter Manyi in a gently stylized, almost fairy-tale guise, her posture and gesture suggesting both playfulness and a certain distance, as if poised between role and reality.
Statue by Sándor Kligl, 2002. [38]
Manyi Kiss statue
The hand of judgement
Historical figure and era
Ferenc Bessenyei (1919–2004) was one of Hungary’s most powerful stage and film actors, renowned for his commanding voice and presence in 20th-century theater and cinema. His portrayal of Bánk bán (The Viceroy), a leader torn between loyalty, justice, and personal grief, became a defining role he played for more than three decades.
Creation and historical context
Péter Párkányi Raab based the statue on Katona’s play, particularly Act V, Scene 5, where the stage direction notes Bánk “pointing out of the window.” Drawing on archival films, photographs, and memories, the sculptor sought to condense Bessenyei’s 31 years in the role into a single gesture, capturing what he called a “refined” and elusive character in bronze. Viewers encounter Bessenyei not simply as an actor in costume but as Bánk himself, in the midst of moral reckoning, arm extended in a decisive outward motion.
Statue by Péter Párkányi Raab, September 21, 2008. [39]
Ferenc Bessenyei statue
The hand of play
Historical figure and era
Kálmán Latabár (1902–1970) was one of Hungary's most beloved comedians and actors, celebrated for his comic timing, musical performances, and distinctive stage presence. He began as a dancer and comic performer and became a defining figure in Hungarian popular culture, bringing laughter to audiences through decades of war, reconstruction, and social change.
Creation and historical context
Péter Párkányi Raab's 2002 statue depicts Latabár in a characteristic clown role, complete with costume, bells, and a crown held in his hand. The figure recalls a performer who balanced humor with vulnerability, drawing on a theatrical tradition in which the clown reveals human truths through play. Rather than commemorating a specific role, the sculpture condenses the spirit that made Latabár a lasting presence in Hungarian cultural memory. Visitors encounter Latabár as an approachable figure, with a smile and a relaxed posture that invite interaction.
Statue by Péter Párkányi Raab, 2002. [49]
Kálmán Latabár statue
The hand of humor
Historical figure and era
Géza Hofi (1936–2002) was an uninhibited, outspoken actor and comedian who used performance to challenge stupidity, hypocrisy, arrogance, pretentiousness, and lies. His humor was sharp yet not hateful, blending laughter with a sometimes biting sense of tragedy.
Creation and historical context
Géza Stremeny’s 2004 statue portrays Hofi in a lively, conversational pose, as if caught mid‑punchline. Unveiled only a few years after his death, it anchors the memory of a performer whose stage presence accompanied audiences through decades of social change. Titled 'Theatre', the statue suggests that Hofi’s presence stands in for the entire stage where comedy, social critique, and everyday life intersect.
Statue by Géza Stremeny, December 28, 2004. [22]
Géza Hofi statue
The hand of the slap
Historical figure and era
Bud Spencer (1929–2016), born Carlo Pedersoli, was an Italian actor, former swimmer, and water polo player best known for his action-comedy and spaghetti Western films with Terence Hill. His slow, heavy stride, deadpan humor, and signature open-handed slaps made him a cult figure across Europe, with a particularly strong following in Hungary during the late socialist decades.
Creation and historical context
Szandra Tasnádi initiated the donation of the larger-than-life bronze statue after Spencer’s death, making it the world’s first public monument to the actor. Depicted in cowboy gear with a saddle over his shoulder—recalling one of his Western roles and an image from Terence Hill’s eulogy—the figure draws on the shared memory of their slapstick fights and enduring partnership. In this setting, the strong and heavy hand and relaxed stance condense an entire film persona into a single gesture of strength, free of cruelty.
Statue by Szandra Tasnádi, November 11, 2007. [48]
Bud Spencer statue
The hand of harmony
Historical figure and era
Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) was one of Hungary's most influential composers, ethnomusicologists, and music educators. Alongside Béla Bartók, he collected and studied thousands of Hungarian folk songs, helping preserve Hungary’s musical heritage. His compositions and educational methods shaped generations of musicians and left a lasting mark on Hungarian cultural life.
Creation and historical context
Imre Varga's 1982 statue presents Kodály in a personal way. Rather than depicting him conducting or composing, the sculpture shows him seated on a bench, holding a small bouquet of wildflowers. Located in a park overlooking Budapest, the monument invites visitors to approach and sit beside it. The work reflects a shift toward human-scale public sculpture.
Statue by Imre Varga, December 15, 1982. [52]
Zoltán Kodály statue
The hand of interpretation
Historical figure and era
Sir Georg Solti (1912–1997) was a renowned Hungarian‑British conductor whose dynamic performances shaped the sound of major orchestras and opera houses throughout the 20th century. He recorded more than 250 albums and received 31 Grammy Awards, a record that underscores his international stature.
Creation and historical context
Péter Párkányi Raab’s 2013 statue captures Solti in motion, with baton and hands mid‑gesture, as if drawing sound from an unseen orchestra. Unveiled in front of the music conservatory in Budapest, it reconnects a global career with local origins. The raised hand and focused expression suggest that interpretation is a dialogue among the score, conductor, and musicians.
Statue by Péter Párkányi Raab, October 22, 2013. [10]
Georg Solti statue
The hand of virtuosity
Historical figure and era
Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was a legendary composer and pianist whose dazzling virtuosity and innovations in harmony, form, and performance transformed 19th‑century music. Renowned for recitals that paired unmatched technique with deep emotional intensity, he reshaped audiences’ expectations of a solo pianist.
Creation and historical context
László Marton’s 1986 statue highlights the expressive hands that became symbols of Liszt’s extraordinary skill and passionate artistry. Unveiled in the late 20th century, it celebrates a musician whose influence still underpins concert life and higher musical education in Hungary and beyond. The poised, energetic hands suggest a performance forever about to begin, inviting viewers to imagine the sound that once sprang from the keys.
Statue by László Marton, October 22, 1986. [13]
Franz Liszt statue
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