Penguin Figurative Sculptures

An official artist of the Nazi regime, trained in Montparnasse in the 1930s, Arno Breker continued to sculpt after the fall of the Third Reich, producing large-scale public commissions in Germany and portraits of prominent figures. The two small bronzes presented here, dated around 1978, are part of a long tradition of prancing horses dating back to antiquity. The asymmetrical treatment of the two front legs and the inclination of the head make these two copies of the same artwork a highly decorative pair. 1. Arno Breker, a prolific sculptor, from the Bohemia of Montparnasse to the commissions from the Third Reich ... and from the Federal Republic of Germany The son of a stone carver, Arno Breker studied fine art and anatomy in his native Elberfeld. At the age of 20, he entered the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. He moved to Paris in 1926, where he continued his training in the studio of Maillol, who dubbed him "the German Michelangelo of the twentieth century". He shared a studio with Alexandre Calder and frequented Jean Cocteau, Foujita, Brancusi, Pablo Picasso and other artists of the bohemian Paris of the time. It was also in Paris in 1933 that he met Demetra Messala, the daughter of a Greek diplomat who posed for Maillol and Picasso, whom he married in 1937. Having won the Prussian Prix de Rome in 1932, he left Paris to stay at the Villa Massimo, the German Academy in Rome. Returning to Germany in 1934, his style evolved towards a more marked imitation of ancient sculpture. He created two monumental statues for Berlin's Olympic Stadium, before being appointed professor at the Berlin College of Fine Arts in 1937. He came to the attention of the Reich Propaganda Ministry, which awarded him several commissions and provided him with three large studios in which Breker produced many monumental sculptures to the glory of the regime. On June 23, 1940, Breker accompanied Adolf Hitler during a visit to Paris. During the Occupation, his political connections enabled him to intervene on behalf of many artists pursued by the Nazis: for example, he protected Pablo Picasso (then a Communist) from Kommandantur officers. Most of Arno Breker's work was destroyed in Berlin at the end of the war in 1945 by bombing and intentional destruction perpetrated by soldiers of the victorious powers. After the fall of the Nazi regime, however, Arno Breker was never prosecuted. He opened a new studio in Düsseldorf, where he sculpted until his death in 1991. He then carried out several public commissions in Germany (Bayreuth, Wuppertal), as well as portraits of numerous personalities, including King Mohammed V of Morocco, Léopold Sedar Senghor (commissioned by the Académie Française in 1978) and the two chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard. The Arno Breker Museum in Nörvenich is now exhibiting some of his artworks. 2. Related artworks: from the Wild Horses of the Quirinal to the Horses of Marly The prancing horse is a major iconographic theme, found in a series of sculptures from Antiquity, the Renaissance and the Classical Age. Various photos from Arno Breker's studio in Berlin confirm the predominant place of equine representations in his work (alongside male nude statues), and confirm that this reduced version created in 1978 is part of the artist's preferred repertoire. Prancing horses are generally associated with a male figure in a group that, through a reference drawn from Antiquity, symbolizes man's domination over nature. In this respect, it is very interesting to compare our small bronzes with the horse forming part of a large sculpture by Arno Breker (made in 1936 and probably destroyed in 1945) depicting Alexander taming Bucephalus. This statue is itself directly inspired by one of the best-known works of 18th-century French sculpture...

Emma Maiden has exhibited her sculptures throughtout the UK since the mid-1990s, with shows including The Fine Art Society, London; the RWA Bristol; West Wales Arts Centre, Fishguard...

Playful, surreal Claes Oldenburg sculpture re-contextualizing a ceramic bicycle seat as a small mountain or geological feature, sitting on a bed of sand atop a square mahogany base. ...

Armand PETERSEN (1891-1969) for Bing & Grondahl, Two penguins in polychrome enameled porcelain, each marked under the right paw with the stamp of the Manufacture in green enamel, acc...

Lapin, modèle 6, circa 1944-1949 Edition Leblanc-Barbedienne Bronze with a brown patina 7.5 x 4 x 2.5 cm Sandoz : Sculpteur Figuriste et Animalier 1881-1971, Catalogue Raisonné de l...

Kiva Ford Memento Mori, 2015 Borosilicate glass 13.50h x 7.50w x 7.50d in

Deux pingouins circa 1911 Bronze with a brown and golden patina 16 x 17.5 x 8.5 cm (sans le socle) Signed : A. Gaul The sculpture " Deux Pingouins " by Gaul, created around 1911, pe...

Soon is a resin sculpture made by Patrick Schumacher, a French contemporary artist. This sculpture represents a gorilla in the posture of the "David" Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo. "Through my artistic work, I try to highlight the possible parallels between animals and human beings, at the crossroads of humor and mockery." P. Schumacher Classically trained, Schumacher further specializes in restoring art antiquities, with a particular interest in Asiatic arts. He acquired an extensive range of technical knowledge which he applies to a broad spectrum of materials. From the melting pot of diverse cultural origins, interests in both classical and Asiatic art and an array of technical skills rose his three-dimensional contemporary...

Edition of 8 ex. Acquired directly from the artist. With base: 179x70x82 cm. William Sweetlove, born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1949, unites dadaism with surrealism and pop art in hu...

Artist: Prince Title: Falcon Year: 2006 Medium: Silver-coated Bronze Sculpture Size: 22 in. x 5 in. x 5 in. (55.88 cm x 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm)

Cormorant by Auguste TREMONT (1892-1980) Rare bronze with a black patina signed at the bottom of the base "A. Tremont" old cast by "C. Valsuani, cire perdue" (with the foundry stamp...

The sculpture is carved from the precious black marble of Belgium, one of the most fascinating materials a sculptor has. The precious artwork was created a few years ago and is the...

Sandy Graves is a contemporary artist renowned for her distinctive approach to visual storytelling and her exploration of the interplay between natural and urban landscapes. Her work...

'King Penguin' by Tobias Martin is a Solid Bronze Animal Sculpture of a king penguin on rocks, white, vivid blue and orange patina. Tobias Martin was born in 1972 in Wiltshire, 12 ...

'Best Friends' by Tobias Martin is a Solid Bronze Animal Sculpture of a pair of puffins on rocks, amaxing blue patina with white and orange bill. Tobias Martin was born in 1972 in ...

'Grouse'' is a stunningly elegant Bronze sculpture. Richard Smith conveys so much character in such simple lines, exemplifying a truly wonderful talent. The fantastic richly detailed...

Bronze sculpture of an emperor penguin dressed in an emperor's military parade garb.