The author of the bust of Dr János Hadzsy (Szentes 1851 – Bačka Topola, 1903) in Bačka Topola is a prominent sculptor and medal artist, Ede Telcs (Baja, 1872 – Budapest, 1948). Telcs spent his childhood in Subotica in a poor Jewish family, and after finishing the grammar school in Subotica, he continued his education at the Art Academy in Vienna (1888–1892). After the millennium exhibition where Emperor Franz Joseph bought his work Two Temperate Men, he was enabled to establish his atelier (1896), where he organised a school and educated several generations of artists. During his extended military service in Subotica, he created a bust of Queen Elizabeth, known as Sisi, which was exhibited in the yard of the Hungarian soldiers barrack in Subotica (1901). A little later he made a memorial statue of Dezső Szilágyi for Svilojevo (1906/7) and the bust of Dr János Hadzsy for Bačka Topola (1908). The realisation of the bust of Dr Hadzsy, a popular doctor, humanist and a Member of the Parliament, in Bačka Topola in 1907, was enabled by collecting voluntary contributions from citizens. The author of the stand is the architect Móric Pogány (Nagyenyed, 1878 – Budapest, 1942). The bust was originally placed in the centre of the town, opposite Hadzsy’s home and the Hotel Casino.
(Olga K. Ninkov)
Bibliography:
Borovszky Samu (ed.) (1909): Bács – Bodrog vármegye, I., Budapest, 170.
Červenak, Pal – Nađ, Tibor (2009): Bačkotopolski kipovi i spomen ploče. Bačkotopolske sveske 8., Javno informativno preduzeće, Bačka Topola.
Cservenák Pál – Nagy Tibor (2009): A topolyai szobrok és emléktáblák. Topolyai füzetek 8. Topolyai Tájékozatási Közvállat, Topolya.
Duranci, Bela (2001): Ede Telč (1872–1948). Prvi Subotičanin na međunarodnoj likovnoj sceni. Rukovet, 9–12, Subotica, 26.
Gajdos Tibor (1995): Szabadka képzőművészete. Életjel, Szabadka.
Merk Zsuzsanna – Rapcsányi László (ed.) (2011): …Éltem és művész voltam. Telcs Ede visszaemlékezeései és útinaplói. Türr István Múzeum – Múzeumbarűtok Köre Alapítvány, Baja.