A sprawling retrospective in Budapest dives deep into the life and art of Lajos Tihanyi, the Hungarian master of Expressionism and the avant‑garde, whose daring color harmonies and abstract forms still crackle with energy. Nearly two hundred works anchor the show at Szent György Square (Szent György tér) 2, from landmark paintings and graphics to intimate estate pieces that sketch a restless, uncompromising career. Born 140 years ago, Tihanyi lost his hearing in childhood and built a world from silence—finding a singular voice in the language of paint. Without academic training, he forged an extraordinary visual idiom that made him both a key member of The Eight (Nyolcak) and one of the 20th century’s most original Hungarian painters.
Guided tours weave through the exhibition’s highlights, offering sharp, hour‑long introductions to his portraiture, abstract compositions, and the personal histories threaded between them. Capacity is tight, so booking ahead is smart; each tour requires a temporary exhibition ticket and a program pass costing 1500 HUF (about 4.20 USD). Tours gather at the information desk, are capped at 17 participants, and run 60 minutes.
Key Dates for On‑Site Tours
Dive into Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors – The Art of Lajos Tihanyi (Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete) in these slots: January 23, 2026, 16:00–17:00; January 29, 16:00–17:00; January 31, 15:00–16:00; February 7, 11:00–12:00; and February 8, 15:00–16:00. Expect focused looks at major canvases, incisive graphics, and artifacts that reframe Tihanyi’s evolution from figurative tension to distilled color and shape.
Explore It From Home
An online tour on January 22, 2026, 19:00–20:00, brings the whole experience to your screen via Zoom. The format mixes live guidance with a post‑event bonus: for one week, roam the virtual gallery at your own pace, study works up close, and explore the exhibition content. Tickets are 1500 HUF (about 4.20 USD) per person, with a 90‑participant cap and a 60‑minute runtime. It’s a fitting way to mark the Day of Hungarian Culture while tracing how Tihanyi’s quiet shaped his chromatic force and formal daring.
Accessible Tour with Sign Language
On January 25, 2026, 15:00–16:00, the exhibition opens up through a sign‑language‑interpreted tour of Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors (Lázadó formák, merész színek). The content mirrors the standard tour, but the presence of an interpreter ensures hearing, hard‑of‑hearing, and deaf visitors share the same journey. As with other sessions, take part with a temporary exhibition ticket plus a 1500 HUF (about 4.20 USD) program pass. Members of the National Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SINOSZ) receive free entry and participation, with advance registration required by January 20. Duration: 60 minutes; capacity: 17; meeting point: information desk.
The Restless Charmer: Special Guest Tour
On February 5, 2026, 17:00–18:00, Lajos Tihanyi, the Restless Charmer (Tihanyi Lajos, a nyughatatlan sármőr) comes under the lens of art manager Nóra Winkler and art historian Tünde Topor. Expect a rare tour through a singular life: a founding member of The Eight who, with remarkable insight, “painted a whole gallery of the early‑century Hungarian literary and artistic scene,” ushering psychological portraiture into Hungarian painting. Alongside portraits—true psychological studies—look for self‑portraits and late abstract works that still probe the edge of representation. Full‑price tickets cost 7400 HUF (about 20.70 USD), discounted at 4200 HUF (about 11.75 USD). Capacity is 36, meeting at the ground‑floor entrance. Buy online or on site, first‑come, first‑served. After the tour, you can revisit the exhibition independently until 18:45.
Budapest–Berlin–Paris: The Road to Abstraction
On February 6, 2026, 16:00–17:00, writer and art historian Rita Halász leads Budapest–Berlin–Paris. Lajos Tihanyi’s Road to Abstraction (Budapest–Berlin–Párizs. Tihanyi Lajos útja az absztrakcióig). Trace how café culture at the turn of the century, Berlin’s avant‑garde pulse, and Parisian modernism pushed Tihanyi from figurative compositions into a pure language of color and form. Tickets: 7400 HUF (about 20.70 USD) full price, 4200 HUF (about 11.75 USD) discounted. Capacity: 20; meeting point: ground floor, exhibition entrance. Sales are online and on site in order of arrival.
However you enter—on site, online, or through a specialist lens—this survey captures a life built from silence into blazing color, and a mind that turned portraiture into psychology while letting abstraction speak in its own voice.
