K?THE KOLLWITZ (K?nigsberg 1867–1945 Moritzburg) Mutter mit zwei Kindern (Mother with two children). 1932–36. Bronze, grey-brown patina. Cast circa 1990. Signed and with the foundry mark on the reverse lower right: Kollwitz / H. NOACK BERLIN. 77 × 79 × 84 cm. Provenance: - Arne Kollwitz, Berlin. - Galerie Ludorff, Düsseldorf, acquired circa 1991 from the above. - Swiss private collection, acquired from the above gallery on 26.3.1993. Literature: - Annette Seeler and K?the Kollwitz Museum: K?the Kollwitz:**Plastik. Werkverzeichnis, Cologne 2016, online version, p. 31, no. I.B.9a. - Hannelore Fischer and K?the Kollwitz Museum: K?the Kollwitz. Der Werküberblick, Cologne 2022, p. 265 (with ill. other cast). "You must become a mother. The older I become, the more it seems like the most beautiful thing in life" (Kollwitz to Anna Erika Gampp, Christmas 1919). Hardly any artist is able to capture motherly love as impressively and genuinely as K?the Kollwitz. Throughout her career, the German artist intensively explored the theme of mother and child. In addition to being an artist and wife, she was passionately fond of being a mother herself, loved children and placed a great deal of importance on family life. In her practice, this intimate portrayal found its expression in prints, drawings and sculpture. Of an impressive size, this bronze depicts a nude mother sitting on the floor with her arms and legs enveloping her two children, a toddler and a baby. Mother and children are enwined head to head and with closed eyes in a warm embrace. It is the depiction of motherhood in its most natural form: s scene of complete tranquillity, illustrating the unconditional love, comfort and care between a mother and her children. The monumental bronze sculpture "Mother with Two Children" is the artists most important work, not only treating this theme, but also within her entire sculptural oeuvre. In 1901 and 1904, the young Kollwitz travelled to Paris, where she visited her idol Auguste Rodin in his studio. The director of the Berlin National Gallery, Hugo von Tschudi, had personally asked the sculptor to receive the talented artist from Germany. She attended a two-month sculpture course at the Académie Julian, although it was not until around 1910 that she turned her attention more seriously to sculpture. Kollwitz had already conceived of the idea for a group of a mother and a child as early as 1912, but the execution of the masterpiece would have to wait another 20 years or so. "This work had been in me for a long time before I began to form it. But I had only ever thought of one child, whereas the truly maternal embrace is not satisfied with just one child" (Fischer 2022, p. 250). In 1923, her twin granddaughters J?rdis and Jutta came into the world. Their birth prompted the artist to include not one, but two children in the composition. In 1932 Kollwitz finally began work on the sculpture. The original model of the sculpture, first created in clay, then cast in plaster, was completed in 1936. The first two bronze casts were produced at the end of the 1950s by the foundry Giesserei Schm?ke in Düsseldorf. From the late 1970s onwards, a further 10 bronze casts were produced by the foundry Giesserei Noack in Berlin and were intended for commercial distribution. Of these 10 casts, most are in public institutions and only a few are still in private collections. The present bronze is only the second cast to ever be offered at auction. The only other bronze until now to be offered at auction was sold in 2007, to the Art Mia Foundation in Beijing. K?THE KOLLWITZ (K?nigsberg 1867–1945 Moritzburg) Mutter mit zwei Kindern. 1932–36. Bronze, graubraune Patina. Guss um 1990. Auf der Hinterseite unten rechts signiert und mit dem Giesserstempel: Kollwitz / H. NOACK BERLIN. 77 × 79 × 84 cm. Provenienz: - Arne Kollwitz, Berlin. - Galerie Ludorff, Düsseldorf, um 1991 von Obigem erworben. - Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 26.3.1993 in obiger Galerie erworben. Literatur: - Annette Seeler und K?the Kollwitz Museum: K?the Kollwitz:**Plastik. Werkverzeichnis, K?ln 2016, Onlineversion, S. 31, Nr. I.B.9a. - Hannelore Fischer und K?the Kollwitz Museum: K?the Kollwitz. Der Werküberblick, K?ln 2022, S. 265 (mit Abb. anderer Guss). "Sie müssen Mutter werden. Je ?lter ich werde, desto mehr kommt es mir wie das Allersch?nste im Leben vor" (K?the Kollwitz an Anna Erika Gampp, Weihnachten 1919). Kaum ein Künstler vermag es,**Mutterliebe so eindrucksvoll und authentisch zu erfassen wie K?the Kollwitz.**deutsche Künstlerin besch?ftigt sich w?hrend ihrer gesamten Karriere intensiv mit dem Thema Mutter und Kind. Sie selbst ist neben Künstlerin und Ehefrau leidenschaftlich gerne Mutter, liebt Kinder und misst der Familie einen hohen Stellenwert zu. Diese intime Darstellung findet bei ihr sowohl in der Druckgrafik, im zeichnerischen Werk als auch in der Plastik Ausdruck. In beeindruckender Gr?sse sitzt**nackte Mutter, mit ihren Armen und Beinen ihre beiden Lieblinge, ein Kleinkind und ein Baby, umschliessend auf dem Boden. Mutter und Kinder sind Kopf an Kopf und mit geschlossenen Augen in eine warme Umarmung gehüllt. Es ist**Darstellung des Mutterseins in ihrer natürlichsten Form. Eine Szenerie der vollkommenen Ruhe,**die grenzenlose Liebe, Geborgenheit und Fürsorge zwischen Mutter und ihren Kindern veranschaulicht. **monumentale Bronzeskulptur "Mutter mit zwei Kindern" ist nicht nur innerhalb dieses Themas, sondern auch innerhalb des gesamten plastischen ?uvres der Künstlerin das bedeutendste Werk. 1901 und 1904 reist**junge Kollwitz nach Paris, wo sie ihr Idol Auguste Rodin in seinem Atelier besucht. Der Direktor der Berliner Nationalgalerie, Hugo von Tschudi, hat den Bildhauer pers?nlich darum gebeten,**talentierte Künstlerin aus Deutschland zu empfangen. Sie belegt einen zwei Monate langen Bildhauerkurs an der Académie Julian, wendet sich aber erst gegen 1910 ernsthafter der Plastik zu. **Idee zu einer Mutter-Kind-Zweiergruppe hat Kollwitz bereits 1912.**Ausführung des Meisterwerkes muss aber noch rund 20 Jahre warten. "Dieses Werk ist lange in mir gewesen, bevor ich mit seiner Formung begann. Ich hatte dabei aber immer nur an ein Kind gedacht, w?hrend das wahrhaft mütterliche Umfassen doch nicht genug hat an nur einem Kinde" (Fischer 2022, S. 250). 1923 erblicken J?rdis und Jutta,**Zwillinge ihres Sohnes und ihre kleinen Enkelinnen,**Welt. Diese Geburt bewegt**Künstlerin dazu, nicht nur eins, sondern gleich zwei Kinder in**Komposition zu integrieren. Ab 1932 schliesslich beginnt Kollwitz mit der Plastik. Das Originalmodell der Figur, zuerst in Ton erstellt, danach in Gips abgeformt, ist 1936 fertig.**ersten zwei Bronzeabgüsse werden Ende der 1950er-Jahre von der Giesserei Schm?ke in Düsseldorf gegossen. Ab den sp?ten 1970er-Jahren entstehen durch**Giesserei Noack Berlin weitere 10 Bronzeabgüsse,**für den Handel bestimmt sind. Von diesen 10 Exemplaren befinden sich**meisten in ?ffentlichen Institutionen und nur noch wenige in privaten Sammlungen.**vorliegende Bronze ist erst das zweite Exemplar überhaupt, welches an einer Auktion zum Aufruf kommt.**erste Bronze war 2007 an einer Auktion und ging an**Art Mia Fondation in Peking.
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