Famous Hungarian Artists & Painters

Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter best remembered as a pioneer of modern Indian art. Widely regarded as one of the early-20th century's greatest avant-garde women artists, Sher-Gil's work has influenced several Indian artists like Arpita Singh and Sayed Haider Raza. Her life and career inspired the 1969 documentary film Amrita Sher-Gil which was directed by Bhagwan Das Garga.

Gyula Halász, or Brassaï, derived his pseudonym from the city of his birth, Brassó, then in Hungary. Later, he moved to Paris, where he began his career as a photographer. He published his works in volumes such as Paris de nuit. He was also a sculptor and a poet.

Known as an eccentric thinker, Wolfgang von Kempelen is best remembered for his automatic chess-playing machine The Turk and his speaking machine. The Turk eventually turned out to be a hoax, designed by Kempelen to impress Maria Theresa, the Austrian Empress, and had human chess players operating it.

Renowned Hungarian sculptor Amerigo Tot was also a talented actor. Best known to international audiences for his role in The Godfather Part II, he spent most of his life in Rome, a city he had fled to during the rise of the Nazis. His ceramic works usually showcased abstract and mythological figures.

Known for her signature style of art that resembles burned negatives or infrared images, Hungarian artist Gyorgy Kepes has also taught visual art at MIT. His book on design education, Language of Vision, was once a staple textbook for art colleges. He had also turned to filmmaking for a while.

Austrian portrait painter Friedrich von Amerling was a favorite of the Viennese aristocrats. The court painter of Austro-Hungarian king Franz Josef, he was known for his skilled use of colors. He was well-traveled and had been married four times. He had managed to acquire the Gumpendorf Castle, too.

Known for his memorial statues, Hungarian Neoclassical sculptor János Fadrusz was born into poverty and initially trained as a locksmith. A woodcarving workshop and, later, a grant to Vienna changed his life. His best-known works include the Christ on the Cross and an equestrian statue of Matthias I.

Born in Austria-Hungary, or present-day Romania, celebrated sculptor Zoltan Kemeny became the only Hungarian to score a win at the Venice Biennale. Trained in carpentry and architecture, he also worked as a fashion designer, before settling in Switzerland, where he became popular for his metal reliefs.

Gheza Vida was a Romanian–Hungarian engraver, sculptor, communist militant, and industrial worker. One of the most famous artists of Maramureș region, Vida also became one of the favorite artists of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Although his career was affected by the Second World War, Gheza Vida established himself as a noteworthy artist and won many prizes and awards.