The original 50 cm statuette of the ''Little Princess'' (Kiskirálylány) Statue sitting on the railings of the Danube promenade in
Budapest,
Hungary was created by
László Marton (1925–2008)
Munkácsy- and
Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor in 1972.
The artist was inspired by his eldest daughter born from his first marriage. She often played in the Tabán wearing a princess costume and a crown made out of newspaper by her father, and at home as well, pretending her bathrobes were a mantle. This image prompted her father, the artist in the creation of this little statue.
László Marton writes: "''Évike'' born from my first marriage, at the age of 5, was playing in a little princess costume in the Tabán playground. When I saw it, I immediately had the subject matter. Titled "Little Princess" I sculpted it as well. It was placed in an elegant location on the Danube promenade. Became a symbol of Budapest."
[Quote from László Marton's autobiographical book "My Walk
of Life".]
A larger size copy of this statue was placed on the Danube promenade in 1990, and a second copy in
Tapolca
Tapolca (; german: Toppoltz) is a town in Veszprém County, Hungary, close to Lake Balaton. It is located at around .
The town has an outer suburb, Tapolca-Diszel, approximately 5 km to the East.
Etymology
The origin of ''Tapolca'' i ...
, the artist's hometown. A copy of the same statue stands in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
too – donated by the artist – in front of the
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space cultural center's concert hall. The original statuette (1972) is owned by
Hungarian National Gallery.
References
Webpage:
"Memory of my Father", http://www.littleprincessstatue.com
External links
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{{Budapest
1972 sculptures
1972 in Hungary
Statues in Hungary
Culture in Budapest
Tourist attractions in Budapest
Outdoor sculptures in Hungary
Sculptures of children in Hungary