Atop the Royal Palace, a majestic Pegasus commands attention. This isn’t just any Pegasus. This is György Vastagh Jr.’s “Horse Restrainer”, originally placed near the Riding Hall in 1901. The Pegazus Statue, also known as the Csikós, captures the dynamic relationship between horse and herder. The horse, larger than life, dominates the composition. Its powerful form emphasizes the herder’s skill in restraining its raw energy. Vastagh Jr., known for his realistic animal sculptures, chose a unique construction method. Instead of bronze casting, he riveted embossed bronze plates together. He meticulously shaped the figures, adding incredible detail to the horse and the Hortobágy horse-herder (csikós) with his distinctive mustache. The statue gained popularity swiftly, giving the surrounding area its enduring name, “Csikós Court”. The Pegazus Statue has witnessed Budapest’s changing landscape. It survived World War II with repairable damage and relocation. After the Riding Hall’s demolition, the statue was moved in 1954, eventually finding a temporary home in the Hunyadi Courtyard in 1982. The National Hauszmann Project has brought the Pegazus Statue back to its rightful place. The renovated Riding Hall and a meticulously restored Csikós statue now stand as they were originally intended. The restoration revealed the statue’s fragile structure. It also uncovered the sculptor’s ingenious trick during the initial assembly. A small hole on the statue’s back, just big enough for a child, allowed access to the horse’s interior for assembly. This method, a testament to Vastagh Jr.’s ingenuity, couldn’t be replicated in later restorations. The Pegazus Statue stands proudly once again, a symbol of Hungarian horsemanship and artistic innovation.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to