Budapest marks the 140th birthday of Lajos Tihanyi (Tihanyi Lajos) — the fearless master of Hungarian expressionism and the avant-garde — with a sprawling retrospective and a rich program of guided tours at 2 Szent György Square, 1014. Nearly two hundred works bring his world to life: keystone paintings and graphics, along with intimate objects from his estate. The show brings to the fore a painter who forged a radical visual language without academic schooling, turning silence into color and form after losing his hearing in childhood. The photograph is under the copyright of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Rebel Forms, Bold Colors: On-Site Tours
The exhibition “Rebel Forms, Bold Colors – The Art of Lajos Tihanyi” (Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete) opens its doors for guided visits that unpack the painter’s life and work. Tihanyi, who found his distinctive voice through painting despite early deafness, became a core figure of The Eight (Nyolcak) and one of the most original Hungarian artists of the 20th century. Tours require an exhibition ticket plus a guided program pass priced at 1,500 HUF (about 4.10 USD). Each session runs 60 minutes, with a maximum of 17 participants, meeting at the information desk.
Upcoming dates and times:
– December 21, 2025, 11:00–12:00
– December 27, 2025, 11:00–12:00
– December 28, 2025, 11:00–12:00
– December 29, 2025, 11:00–12:00
– December 30, 2025, 11:00–12:00
– January 9, 2026, 16:00–17:00
– January 11, 2026, 15:00–16:00
– January 17, 2026, 15:00–16:00
– January 23, 2026, 16:00–17:00
– January 29, 2026, 16:00–17:00
– January 31, 2026, 15:00–16:00
TIHANYI 140: Curator’s Tour with Mariann Gergely
On January 15, 2026, 16:00–17:00, curator Mariann Gergely leads a deep-dive tour into Tihanyi’s career, marked by both artistic innovation and personal tragedy. Born 140 years ago, Tihanyi lost his hearing at eleven due to meningitis; his voice was distorted, speech difficult, and he learned to read lips. He never attended academies; instead, he developed a distinctive style shaped by his vantage point on the world. As a young man he visited Nagybánya (Baia Mare), mingled with painters and writers, and embedded himself in the intellectual circles of his time. In the winter of 1919 he emigrated and never returned to Hungary. Before leaving, he was already an established artist — a driving force in The Eight, with a 1918 solo show at the MA circle’s gallery founded by Lajos Kassák.
He lived in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, and New York, then returned to Paris in the 1930s. He moved with international currents, meeting leading figures of the avant-garde in Berlin and Paris. A standout thread in his oeuvre is his portraits of major personalities. He painted Hungarian luminaries such as Lajos Kassák, Lajos Fülep, Endre Ady, Mihály Babits, Józsi Jenő Tersánszky, Dezső Kosztolányi, Pál Pátzay, and György Bölöni, as well as international figures Ivan Goll, Diego Rivera, Tristan Tzara, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (Marinetti), and Brassaï. Many compared the expressive verve of his portraits to Oskar Kokoschka. In his final years, he created striking abstract works and in 1932 joined the international group Abstraction-Création. Tickets: full price 7,400 HUF (about 20.20 USD), discounted 4,200 HUF (about 11.45 USD). Max. 17 people. Meeting point: ground floor, exhibition entrance.
The Human Behind the Palette: Tour with Gergely Barki
On January 16, 2026, 16:00–17:00, art historian Gergely Barki offers an unconventional tour of the “Tihanyi 140” exhibition, probing the artist’s personality as closely as his canvases. Despite deafness and speech difficulties, Tihanyi was sociable, with many friends — and enemies — yet he lived essentially alone. He never formed a lasting partnership; alongside his disability, his exacting temperament may have played a role. In every relationship he was candid and true to himself. How did that reflect in his art? Did his personal ties shape his painting? Barki’s tour follows the threads. Tickets: full price 7,400 HUF (about 20.20 USD), discounted 4,200 HUF (about 11.45 USD). Maximum 20 participants. Meeting point: ground floor, exhibition entrance. Tickets are sold online and on-site on a first-come, first-served basis.
Online Guided Tour: From Your Sofa
On January 22, 2026, 19:00–20:00, celebrate the Day of Hungarian Culture with an online guided tour of the Tihanyi retrospective via Zoom. Explore how the artist, who turned silence into color and form, forged a rare visual language without academic instruction, and why he stands among the most original voices in 20th-century Hungarian painting. After the live hour-long tour, the virtual exhibition space remains open for one week: walk through independently, zoom in on artworks, and study texts in the galleries. Participation fee: 1,500 HUF (about 4.10 USD) per person. Max. 90 participants.
Accessible Tour with Sign Language Interpretation
On January 25, 2026, 15:00–16:00, the show welcomes visitors to an accessible guided tour with sign language interpretation, inviting hearing, hard-of-hearing, and deaf audiences to share the experience equally. Entry to the guided program requires an exhibition ticket and a guided program pass priced at 1,500 HUF (about 4.10 USD). The content mirrors the standard tour, with an interpreter facilitating throughout. SINOSZ members can attend free of charge with prior registration by January 20. Duration: 60 minutes. Maximum 17 participants. Meeting point: information desk.
Behind the Scenes: A Legacy’s Journey
For decades, Hungarian audiences saw Tihanyi’s work mostly through black-and-white reproductions — until his estate took a dramatic route from Paris to the collection of the Hungarian National Gallery fifty-five years ago. Today, his paintings and drawings, once scattered across Europe and America, are gathered to tell a cohesive story of a restless, searching talent who bridged Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Paris, and New York, and ended his path among the pioneers of abstraction.
