Sculpture "The Maid and the Unicorn" (2024), bronze
Sculpture "The Maid and the Unicorn" (2024), bronze
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ars mundi Exclusive Edition | limited, 20 copies | numbered | signature | hallmarked | certificate | bronze | chiselled | polished | patinated | size approx. 25.5 x 39 x 12.5 cm (h/w/d) | weight approx. 8 kg
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Sculpture "The Maid and the Unicorn" (2024), bronze
In tranquillity lies strength - this is how Alfredo Llorens García's sculpture could be summarised. The artist, who trained and taught in Valencia, combines a large, massive rhinoceros with the elegance of a female nude, who is also engrossed in reading a book with great serenity.
Llorens García's outstanding sculptural skills were evident from a young age. For almost two decades, he applied them in the service of the internationally renowned Valencian porcelain manufacturer LLadró, while also working as a freelance artist, creating works for museums and public spaces.
The sculpture showcases not only remarkable craftsmanship but also a subtle sense of humour: The title "The Maid and the Unicorn" transforms the rhinoceros into a "unicorn", referencing a highly famous depiction on a Flemish tapestry from 1500 (La Dame à la licorne, Musée de Cluny, Paris).
Bronze sculpture, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled, polished and patinated by hand. Taken directly from the original. Limited edition of 20 copies, numbered, signed and hallmarked with the foundry and ars mundi stamp. With numbered certificate of authenticity and limitation. Size approx. 25.5 x 39 x 12.5 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 8 kg. ars mundi Exclusive Edition.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
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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.