A Contemplative Woman

Gerhard Marcks (Berlin 1889 - Burgbrohl 1981)

Designed 1943, made around 1980. Bronze, goldbrown patinated. H. 60 cm. On the plinth with the artist's signet, foundry mark GUSS BARTH RINTELN, from an edition of 10 copies (numbered 2/10). Traces of oxidation. One of 11 known copies. One copy was cast in 1950 by a student of Marcks at the State Art School in Hamburg, copies 1/10 - 10/10 were cast at the Barth foundry in Rinteln between 1980 and 1996. The model for The Pensive Woman was created in 1943 and depicts a young woman with her head bowed in silent contemplation, reflecting on the horrors of war - Literature: Catalogue raisonné: Rudloff 0429 - German sculptor, graphic artist a. draughtsman, since 1907 he shared a studio with R. Scheibe, he taught at the Berlin art school before being called as teacher to the Weimar Bauhaus by W. Gropius, inspired by L. Feininger he started producing woodcuts, in 1928 he was awarded the Villa Romana prize a. became head of the art school Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, expelled by the Nazis in 1933 he lived in Ahrenshoop, in 1945 he became lecturer at the Hamburg Landeskunstschule. Mus.: Köln (Wallraf-Richartz-Mus.), Bremen, Hannover a. others. Lit.: Thieme-Becker, Vollmer, Der Neue Rump a. others.