Sculpture "Kissing Group I" (1921), bronze
Sculpture "Kissing Group I" (1921), bronze
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ars mundi Exclusive Edition | museum replica | limited, 980 copies | numbered | signature | foundry hallmark | certificate | bronze | patinated | size 19.5 x 19 x 10 cm (h/w/d) | weight 3.2 kg
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Sculpture "Kissing Group I" (1921), bronze
The Mysticism of Love: Ernst Barlach's "Kissing Group I". ars mundi Exclusive Edition, published in cooperation with the Kunsthalle Bremen.
The works of Ernst Barlach (1870-1938) are characterised by deep humanity. His depictions of simple people avoid the idealisation of the exterior and at the same time insist on a human ideal that is diametrically opposed to the historical course of the artist's life. His praying, music-making, searching figures appear as if they are infused with a spiritual force that makes them part of an overarching, mystical whole.
That is also the case with Barlach's Kiss, which was certainly created in 1921 in confrontation with Auguste Rodin's work of the same name. Unlike Rodin's work, the sculptural group does not emphasise the element of Eros but rather depicts the lovers with an affection that goes far beyond that. The intimacy between them seems to be characterised by a long shared experience of life and unbreakable trust. In its monolithic structure, the work already shows a "unity" of the couple, which reveals love not as a fleeting erotic phenomenon but as an almost mystical basic human experience - not Venus and Adonis, but Philemon and Baucis were the inspiration.
Sculpture "Kissing Group I": Original: Lacquered plaster.
Sculpture in fine bronze, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled, polished and patinated by hand. Directly cast from the original. Limited edition of 980 copies, individually numbered and with the signature "E. Barlach" taken from the original as well as the foundry hallmark. Published in cooperation with the Kunsthalle Bremen. With numbered certificate of authenticity and limitation. Size 19,5 x 19 x 10 cm (h/w/d). Weight 3,2 kg. ars mundi Exclusive Edition.
"Some of the most famous works of modern art are dedicated to kisses - Gustav Klimt's and Auguste Rodin's depictions are the most prominent examples. Ernst Barlach also devoted himself to this theme. At the centre of his work are the human being and the entire range of his emotions. The Bremen Kissing Group presents an unusually intimate view of a couple showing affection, which is enhanced by the size and medium." (Prof. Dr Christoph Grunenberg, Director of the Kunsthalle Bremen)
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About 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.
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.
Artistic movement that replaced Impressionism in the early 20th century.
Expressionism is the German form of the art revolution in painting, graphic art and sculpture, with its precursors found in the works of Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin at the end of the 19th century. The expressionists sought to reach the fundamental elements of painting. Using vibrant, unbroken colours in large areas, emphasising lines, and aiming for suggestive expressiveness, they fought against the artistic taste established by the bourgeoisie.
The most important representatives of Expressionism were the founders of "Die Brücke": Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Max Pechstein, Otto Mueller and Franz Marc, August Macke and others.
Masters of Viennese Expressionism are Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. Among sculptors, Ernst Barlach is the most famous.
Fauvism is the French form of Expressionism.
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 true-to-the-original reproduction of an artwork in the same size and with the best possible material and colour uniformity.
The mould is usually taken directly from the original so that the replication reproduces even the finest details. After casting the replication, using the most appropriate method, the surface is polished, patinated, gilded or painted according to the original.
A replication of ars mundi is a recognizable copy of the original.
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.