Buza Péter: Spring and Fountains - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1994)

Ornamental foüntain honoüring the memory of Millacher, the Kacsa ütca soda-maker

blowing his horn, which he carved out of marble. Art history also appreciates this achievement of his, in which he manages to brighten up the rigidity of the academic style with a spirited charm. The only features with which critics do not seem to be quite so happy are the Art Nouveau forms of the background and the looseness of the composition. The former feature, however, is not severely criticised, because with it the artist only wanted to follow the fashion of his period.

Let us stay in Buda and look at something unique. This special treat is a gift that was given to the community of Buda by Lajos Millacher. This soda-maker, whose factory was in Kacsa utca, left a substantial amount of money to the city in his last will and testament. He intended part of this money-40,000 koronas-to be spent on erecting an ornamental fountain bearing his own portrait. The municipality invited competing designs in 1900 for which 21 works were entered,

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