Dr. Lantos Ferenc Lénárd, Academic, Kossuth-Prize Winning Artist.
Lantos Ferenc was born in Pécs on 20 February 1929, by father Lantos György and mother Lukits Georgina. Lantos Ferenc’s wife from 1953 was Vecsey Mária, and since 1986 he has been married with Apagyi Mária Weiner Leó- and Apáczai Csere János-Prize Winning Artist-Teacher of piano. Lantos Ferenc has three children: Gábor (1954), Éva (1954), and Tamás (1956).
Lantos Ferenc made his mark both as an artist and as a teacher. He has stuck to his own path with obstinate endurance, often against a stormy public reception and, evoking conflicts around himself, he has been working as an easel painter, made unique and limited edition prints, enamel-friezes on public buildings and planned porcelain decorative works, whilst always experimenting as an artist, working out new didactic methodologies and helping to form the minds of successive generations.
ARS POETICA
„Art is a peculiar tool that serves humans with the loftiest aspirations This assigns a great responsibility, therefore, it matters what we are doing as art as well as what we are promoting and teaching in this regard. So, it is not the human beings that have to adapt to art but the other way around. Therefore art is a service but not to service inferior and selfish intentions. It is not a grocery where all can get the merchandise their taste would fancy. It is not „self-realization” or exhibitionism either. Art is an intellectual guide that builds relations between humans and humans as well as between humans and the World; it is a vista from spirit to spirit. It does help to get a bearing in the „intellectual traffic”; it is a power that gives opportunities and faith. More people we wish to reach out to, deeper and more generally valid our statements should be. This does not necessarily mean abstraction of the form but rather the universality of the content. This could probably be achieved through interdisciplinarity that is an approach both to creative art and to art education. Art is a peculiar language that could be taught. However, it is only the language that is teachable but never art itself.”
(The translation of the Ars Poetica uses the English text by Szöllősi-Nagy András in the book „Lantos Ferenc”, Alexandra Publishing House, 2006)