Ernst Barlach
1870-1938, sculptor, writer, and draughtsman
Ernst Barlach was born on January 2, 1870, in Wedel, Germany, and died on October 24, 1938, in Rostock, Germany. He holds an outstandingly special position within German Expressionism. As a graphic artist, draughtsman, writer, and above all, as a sculptor, Barlach created milestones in art history. Barlach's sculptural works of art have a special effect because they seek extreme experience of limits and their representation. They are works of multi-layered meaning with which he foregrounded the essence of the human being and that what stands above the self and the world.
Barlach's intention is rooted deeply, in the inner self. Shaped by war and challenging living conditions, he experiences both suffering and happiness. And always, at the centre of his work, stands the human being: Ecce homo.
"I desire nothing more than to be an artist, as best I can. I believe that what cannot be expressed through the work can pass into the possession of another through forms. My pleasure and creative impulse continually revolve around the problems of the meaning of life and the other great mountains in the spiritual realm." (Ernst Barlach)
In 1925, Ernst Barlach was made an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1933, he was appointed Knight of the Peace Class of the Order "Pour le Mérite". In 1937, the National Socialists removed his works from public collections and spaces, branding them as "degenerate art." On October 24, 1938, Ernst Barlach died in Rostock.
Today, Ernst Barlach's works are an integral part of leading museums and collections, and - if available - fetch record prices at auction.
"The Singing Man" became Ernst Barlach's best-known sculpture, an icon of Modernism. It adorns illustrated books and posters worldwide, and the original edition is a permanent part of the collections of the world's major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
