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From the formal characteristics of his works one might expect Kugler to have been a contemporary of István Ferenczy, while in fact he belonged to Izso's generation. He was a late follower of Classicism, having studied in Rome.
Ferenc Liszt was one of the most popular sitters for Hungarian artists, his portraits by Mihály Munkácsy and Miklós Barabás being outstanding works of nineteenth-century Hungarian painting. So it was natural that sculptors were also interested in him. One of the earliest likenesses of Liszt was the marble relief carved by sculptor Károly Dosnyay in 1840. The Liszt portrait by Pál Ferenc Kugler was sculptured in the traditional style of Classicist portraiture. The bust is placed on a cylindrical base and the contemporary cloak is arranged in the classical folds of the antique world. The face and head differ somewhat from the classical ideal, as the idealized face is slightly animated, and the marble statue shows the inner fervour burning beneath the rather staid, sharp features of the mature Liszt.
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