Little madmen

Gerhard Marcks (Berlin 1889 - Burgbrohl 1981)

1944. Bronze, brown patinated. H. 39 x 9 x 14.5 cm. Artist's signet on the plinth. Minimal traces of oxidation on the plinth. Expressive female figure that is reminiscent of Ernst Barlach's 'Ecstatic Woman' from 1920, but can also be found in Marcks' contemporary woodcut works, for example in the sheet 'The Curse' from 1944. According to Rudloff, the figure goes back to an earlier design (see design sketch, probably from the beginning of the thirties) - Literature: Cat.rais. Rudloff 455 (Rudloff names a total of 5 casts, including 1 without numbering in the Gerhard-Marcks-Haus, Bremen (inv. no. 43/71, 1 cast without numbering in the Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg, Halle (inv. no. III 40), 1 cast without numbering in the art trade and 2 casts without numbering Whereabouts unknown - Provenance: Formerly part of the collection of Prof. Dr. H. Stubbe, Gatersleben; has since been passed down through inheritance. - 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. Rudloff, Martina. Gerhard Marcks. Das plastische Werk. Bremen, 1977