Prohászka László: Equestrian Statues - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1997)
lozsvár, the composition is not without signs of a distinctly individual style. The statue is a decently sculpted piece, even though its aesthetic qualities fall behind those distinguished monuments made by Vastagh or Pásztor. Along with most other works erected in the courtyard of the Lu- dovika, the statue was removed after 1945, and there is no authentic information on its later fate. World War II was once again an inauspicious period for the erection of costly, large-scale monuments. As in the twenties, monumental equestrian statues cast in bronze were once again superseded by less expensive reliefs, preferably smaller ones, decorating the walls of fountain- basins. Larger than these was one featuring St. George, made by Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl. Commissioned by prime-ministerial under-secretary István Bárczy, the artist was to prepare a relief to decorate the outer wall of the Sándor Palace in the Buda Castle (Szent György tér 1-2), which functioned as the prime minister’s residence at the time. What sets this exceptionally dynamic and energetic work apart from earlier variations on the same theme is that it is not mainly about Good defeating Evil. What Kisfaludi Strobl’s work depicts is the struggle itself, in which nothing has been decided yet. During the siege of Budapest, the building was very badly damaged - it burnt out completely and its south wing was completely ruined. Kisfaludi Strobl’s work was stored for years on the premises of the State Stone Carving Company, until it was placed back into the north wall of the palace, whose exterior had been renovated. It is regrettable that the narrow alleyway cannot provide the perspective required for any full appreciation of the relief. On the Pest side, the modern building of the Banking Centre in Szabadság tér was completed in 1940. Designed by László Lauber and István Nyíri, the office block had its faqade overlooking the square decorated by Ferenc Med- gyessy’s relief called Vintage Procession. The large (3.5 metre high and 10.3 wide) relief, carved in Haraszt limestone, features vine harvesters dressed in traditional Hungarian costume. The horseherd standing in the centre tries, with his right hand, to restrain its recalcitrant steed, which jerks its head back. The figure of the horseherd bridling his horse serves as a dividing line between the workers busy harvesting on the right and those already enjoying a feast 45
