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Josef Moest
Crusader with shield and mace / - Ready to strike -

c. 1910

About the Item

Josef Moest (1873 Cologne - 1914 Rath), Crusader with shield and mace, around 1910. Bronze on a black marble pedestal (19 cm high). 57.5 cm (total height) x 21 cm (width) x 12 cm (depth), weight 24.8 kg. Incised signature “MOEST.” on the back of the base. - Slightly worn in places, base minimally bumped, otherwise in excellent condition - Ready to strike - The crusader gazes resolutely over his raised shield at the enemy, his confident posture indicating that he will not retreat in the least, defending the terrain with his tightly wrapped mace. The armor, slightly damaged on the left shoulder, bears witness to battles already fought. However, the stance is not only a secure position, but also a purposeful retreat that turns into a lunging movement. The already tensed muscles are masterfully visible under the chain mail, anticipating the powerful blow. By dynamizing the figure in this way, Josef Moest succeeds in depicting the battle on the basis of the individual figure without illustrating the battle as such. The impression of the crusader's presence beyond the historical distance is reinforced by the extremely realistic details. The finely woven chain mail as well as the leather straps give a convincing impression of the actual material. The positioning on the high pedestal lends the figure a monumental quality, giving a moral impetus to the inner attitude depicted. About the artist As the son of the Cologne sculptor, restorer and collector of medieval sculptures, Richard Moest, Josef Moest was born with an interest in sculpture. After training under the cathedral sculptor Peter Fuchs, he studied sculpture under Syrius Eberle at the Munich Academy from 1897 to 1902. Moest then opened his own studio. He quickly made a name for himself as a sculptor. He created high-quality salon sculptures and was involved in numerous church decorations. In 1904, he co-founded the Cologne artists' association “Stil”. In 1908 he took part in the exhibition at the Munich Glaspalast and in 1909 in the Great Art Exhibition of the Düsseldorf Academy. Suffering from tuberculosis, Moest designed a Pietà for his own grave in 1912, when he was just 39 years old, before he died two years later. GERMAN VERSION Josef Moest (1873 Köln - 1914 Rath), Kreuzritter mit Schild und Streitkolben, um 1910. Bronze auf schwarzem Marmorpostament (19 cm Höhe). 57,5 cm (Gesamthöhe) x 21 cm (Breite) x 12 cm (Tiefe), Gewicht 24,8 kg. Ritzsignatur „MOEST.“ auf der Rückseite des Sockels. - vereinzelt leicht betrieben, Sockel minimal bestoßen, ansonsten ausgezeichnet erhalten - Zum Hieb bereit - Der Kreuzritter blickt über das erhobene Schild hinweg entschlossen dem Feind entgegen, während der sichere Stand davon kündet, keinen Deut zurückzuweichen und das Terrain mit dem festumschlossenen Streitkolben zu verteidigen. Die an der linken Schulter etwas lädierte Rüstung zeugt von bereits ausgefochtenen Schlachten. Die Körperhaltung ist aber nicht allein ein sicherer Stand, sie ist zugleich ein anvisierendes Zurückweichen, das in eine Ausholbewegung übergeht. Die bereits angespannte Muskulatur zeichnet sich auf meisterhafte Weise unter dem Kettenhemd ab und antizipiert den kraftvollen Schlag. Durch diese Dynamisierung der Figur gelingt es Josef Moest, das Kampfestgeschehen anhand der Einzelfigur zur Darstellung zu bringen, ohne den Kampf als solchen zu veranschaulichen. Dabei wird der Eindruck einer über die historische Distanz hinweg gegebenen Präsenz des Kreuzritters durch die äußerst realistisch ausgearbeiteten Details verstärkt. Das feinmaschige Kettenhemd vermittelt ebenso überzeugend wie die Lederriemen den Eindruck ihrer eigentlichen materiellen Beschaffenheit. Die Positionierung auf dem hohen Postament verleiht der Figur etwas Denkmalhaftes, wodurch die dargestellte innere Haltung einen moralischen Impetus erhält. zum Künstler Als Sohn des Kölner Bildhauers, Restaurators und Sammlers mittelalterlicher Skulpturen, Richard Moest, war Josef Moest das Interesse für Bildhauerei in die Wiege gelegt. Nach einer Ausbildung bei dem Dombildhauer Peter Fuchs studierte er von 1897 bis 1902 bei Syrius Eberle Bildhauerei an der Münchener Akademie. Anschließend eröffnete Moest ein eigenes Atelier. Schnell machte er sich als Bildhauer einen Namen. Er schuf qualitätvolle Salonplastiken und war an zahlreichen Kirchenausstattungen beteiligt. 1904 war er Mitbegründer der Kölner Künstlervereinigung „Stil“. 1908 nahm er an der Ausstellung im Münchner Glaspalast teil und 1909 an der Großen Kunstausstellung der Düsseldorfer Akademie. An Tuberkulose leidend, entwarf Moest 1912, mit gerade einmal 39 Jahren, eine Pietà für sein eigenes Grab, bevor er zwei Jahre später verstarb.
  • Creator:
    Josef Moest (1873 - 1914, German)
  • Creation Year:
    c. 1910
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.64 in (57.5 cm)Width: 8.27 in (21 cm)Depth: 4.73 in (12 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Berlin, DE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2438215480412

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Auf der Plinthe mit „E.[ugène] Laurent.“ signiert und rückseitig mit „HZ“ bezeichnet. - patinabedingt etwas fleckig, Oxidationsspuren hinter dem Spinnrocken, stellenweise leicht berieben, insgesamt in einem altersgemäß noch sehr guten Zustand - Die befreiende Kraft des Glaubens - Als 13jähige vernahm das um 1412 in Lothringen geborene Bauernmädchen Jeanne Stimmen der Heiligen Katharina und Margarete und des Erzengels Michael, die ihr verkündeten, auserwählt zu sein, Frankreich von der englischen Besatzung zu befreien. 1428 waren die Truppen von Heinrich VI. bis zur Loire vorgerückt und belagerten die für eine Weitereroberung Frankreichs strategisch wichtige Stadt Orléans. Jeanne d’Arc begab sich ins Exil Karls VII. und führte mit der Einwilligung des Königs das französische Heer gegen die Belagerer ins Feld. Nach viertätiger Schlacht unterlagen die Engländer und Orléans war befreit. 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He took up the challenge of transcending the Renaissance with the Renaissance, thus responding to the Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes, which arose at the end of the 17th century around the French Academy and remained virulent into the 19th century, in which antiquity was regarded either as an unattainable ideal or as a standard to be surpassed. With his work, Dubois proved that the Renaissance, which had championed the art of the ancients, could lead to a new renaissance of art. About the artist Paul Dubois' great-uncle was the famous French Baroque sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, in whose footsteps the talented great-nephew followed. When he debuted at the Paris Salon in 1858, he signed his work "Dubois-Pigalle". At his father's request, however, he first studied law before devoting himself to sculpture under the tutelage of François Christophe Armand Toussaint in 1856 and entering the École des Beaux-Arts in 1858. From 1859 to 1863, he lived in Rome and traveled to Naples and Florence. Inspired by Florentine art of the quattrocento, Dubois initiated a school-forming neo-Florentine style that combined the elegantly simple forms of youthful grace with a precise wealth of detail.Two purchases by the French state (“envois de Rome”) were made during his stay in Rome, which brought him recognition in Paris. After his return there, he quickly became an internationally sought-after artist. Dubois was also active as a creator of monuments. His most famous work is the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc (1896) on the forecourt of Reims Cathedral. He was also a sought-after portraitist who produced around 50 busts and - Dubois was also a passionate painter - around 100 portraits in oil. From 1873 to 1878 he was curator of the Museum du Luxembourg, in 1876 he became a member of the Institut de France and from 1878 to 1905 he was director of the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1865, Dubois was awarded the Paris Salon Medal of Honor for his “Florentine Singer”. In 1867 he became Chevalier, in 1874 Officier, in 1886 Commandeur of the Légion d'honneur, which awarded Dubois the Grande Croix in 1896. Selected Bibliography Stole, Elmar: Paul Dubois. In: Saur. Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, vol. 30, Munich - Leipzig 2001, pp. 677-678. GERMAN VERSION Paul Dubois (1829 Nogent-sur-Seine - 1905 Paris), Florentinischer Sänger, 1865. Hellbraun patinierte Bronze mit gegossener runder Plinthe auf quadratischem Marmorsockel montiert (3,5 cm Höhe). Gesamthöhe 53 cm. Maße der Bronze: 49,5 cm (Höhe) x 20 cm (Länge) x 10 cm (Breite), Gewicht 5,6 kg. Auf der Plinthe mit „P.[aul] DUBOIS“ bezeichnet, auf „1865“ datiert, mit dem Gießereistempel „F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR“ und dem Signet „REDUCTION MECANIQUE A. COLLAS“ versehen. - Patina sehr vereinzelt nachgedunkelt, Laute mit Verlust eines Stimmwirbels, ansonsten ausgezeichnet erhalten. - Die Renaissance...
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