Sculpture "Elephant on Hind Legs", bronze
Sculpture "Elephant on Hind Legs", bronze
Quick info
bronze | polished | expert's report | size 11 x 8 x 3 cm (h/w/d)
Detailed description
Sculpture "Elephant on Hind Legs", bronze
In many cultures, the elephant is a symbol of power and strength. Raimund Schmelter, a goldsmith who specialises in depicting animals, has created a version of the elephant that radiates playful lightness. Bronze cast using the sand casting process, brightly polished by hand. With expert's report. Size 11 x 8 x 3 cm (h/w/d).
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
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About Raimund Schmelter
The sculptor Raimund Schmelter was born in 1950. He first learned the goldsmith's trade before his strong interest in reduced and stylised images led him to the fine arts.
Schmelter's works display graceful line management that reveals that he develops his designs in countless paper sketches before realising them in his studio.
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.
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.