Sculpture / candlestick "Griffin and Serpent" (2006), bronze version
Sculpture / candlestick "Griffin and Serpent" (2006), bronze version
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ars mundi Exclusive Edition | limited, 499 copies | numbered | signed | bronze | handmade | patinated | polished | candle stick | size 35 x 31 x 13.5 cm (w/h/d) | weight 9 kg
Detailed description
Sculpture / candlestick "Griffin and Serpent" (2006), bronze version
With this masterpiece, Ernst Fuchs takes up an ancient mythological theme: The conflict between the flying gryphon and the earth-bound serpent. The combination of a lion's body, an eagle's head and wings makes him a symbol of the mastery of air and earth. Due to its sharp gaze, it was considered to have clairvoyant abilities and was regarded as the sacred animal of Apollo and the guardian of gold. Since the Middle Ages, the griffin has been one of the most important heraldic figures: it can be found in the coats of arms of many states and cities, e.g. of Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Düsseldorf, Greifswald or Rostock - and of course in the coats of arms of old noble families. By designing his sculptural group as a candelabra object, Ernst Fuchs links the table culture of the 18th and 19th centuries.
ars mundi Exclusive Edition in fine bronze. Cast by hand using the Lost-Wax-Process. Patinated and polished by hand. Limited edition 499 copies, numbered and signed. Size 35 x 31 x 13,5 cm (w/h/d). Weight 9 kg. Can also be used as a light object.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
About Ernst Fuchs
1930-2015
Ernst Fuchs, born in Vienna in 1930, already presented his works to the public in 1946/47 together with other young artists during his studies at the Vienna Academy. He was one of the co-founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.
This art movement emerged in Vienna around 1945 and deliberately set itself apart from abstract art. In their works, the artists dealt with French Surrealism, the experiences of New Objectivity and metaphysical painting as well as the fantastic elements of Viennese pre-war art. Ernst Fuchs' work has had a decisive influence on our understanding of 20th-century art.
The motifs are complex allegories depicting human afflictions between life and death. Biblical and mythological representations dominate. The motifs of the Old and New Testaments are deliberately enigmatic and visionary in expression. These riddles are meant to bring knowledge and solution to the viewer as well as to the artist.
His engagement with the heterogeneous art traditions led him to his historicism. He mixed the styles, sometimes in a polemical way. In his first book, "Architectura Caelestis: Images of the Hidden Prime of Styles" first published in 1964, he set out his artistic conception.
The imaginative pictorial inventions, often alienated by surreal elements, evoke something mystical and often erotic. Fuchs' entire oeuvre is repeatedly permeated by biblical motifs. They all culminate in the unique book, the Ernst Fuchs Bible.
An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times. It is an ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings, capable of enduring for millennia.
When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. This is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.
First, the artist forms a model of their work. This model is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out, leaving a negative mould. Liquid wax is then poured into the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax cast is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, where the wax melts away (lost mould).
Finally, the negative mould is ready, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken apart, reavoling the sculpture.
Next, the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist or by a specialist, following their instructions. Thus, each casting is an original work.
For lower-quality bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used, which, however, does not achieve the results of a more elaborate lost-wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.
Graphic or sculpture edition that was initiated by ars mundi and is available only at ars mundi or at distribution partners licensed by ars mundi.
Term for an art object (sculpture, installation) that, according to the artist’s intention, is produced in multiple copies within a limited and numbered edition.
Multiples enable the "democratization" of art by making the work accessible and affordable for a wider audience.
A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.
While sculptures made of wood, ivory, or stone are carved directly from the material block, in bronze casting, a working model is prepared at first. Usually, it is made of clay or other easily mouldable materials.
The prime time of sculpture after the Greek and Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Contemporary artists such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz also enriched sculptures with outstanding works.