Andrzej Szymczyk Sculptures

John W. Kearney (American, 1924-2014) Godiva on a Rhinoceros Bronze Signed with monogram to base 6.5 x 3 x 8.5 inches Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he studied at the Cranbrook Acadamy of...

William King (1925-2015). Reclining figure, ca. 1965. Cast and welded bronze, 7 x 9.5 x 5 inches. Unsigned. William King, a sculptor in a variety of materials whose human figures traced social attitudes through the last half of the 20th century, often poking sly and poignant fun at human follies and foibles, died on March 4 at his home in East Hampton, N.Y. He was 90. His death was confirmed by Scott Chaskey, who is married to Mr. King's stepdaughter, Megan Chaskey. Mr. King worked in clay, wood, bronze, vinyl, burlap and aluminum. He worked both big and small, from busts and toylike figures to large public art pieces depicting familiar human poses -- a seated, cross-legged man reading; a Western couple (he in a cowboy hat, she in a long dress) holding hands; a tall man reaching down to tug along a recalcitrant little boy; a crowd of robotic-looking men walking in lock step. But for all its variation, what unified his work was a wry observer's arched eyebrow, the pointed humor and witty rue of a fatalist. His figurative sculptures, often with long, spidery legs and an outlandishly skewed ratio of torso to appendages, use gestures and posture to suggest attitude and illustrate his own amusement with the unwieldiness of human physical equipment. His subjects included tennis players and gymnasts, dancers and musicians, and he managed to show appreciation of their physical gifts and comic delight at their contortions and costumery. His suit-wearing businessmen often appeared haughty or pompous; his other men could seem timid or perplexed or awkward. Oddly, or perhaps tellingly, he tended to depict women more reverentially, though in his portrayals of couples the fragility and tender comedy inherent in couplehood settled equally on both partners. Mr. King's work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, among other places, and he had dozens of solo gallery shows in New York and elsewhere. But the comic element of his work probably caused his reputation to suffer. Reviews of his exhibitions frequently began with the caveat that even though the work was funny, it was also serious, displaying superior technical skills, imaginative vision and the bolstering weight of a range of influences, from the ancient Etruscans to American folk art to 20th-century artists including Giacometti, Calder. and Elie Nadelman. The critic Hilton Kramer, one of Mr. King's most ardent advocates, wrote in a 1970 essay accompanying a New York gallery exhibit that he was, "among other things, an amusing artist, and nowadays this can, at times, be almost as much a liability as an asset." A "preoccupation with gesture is the focus of King's sculptural imagination," Mr. Kramer wrote. "Everything that one admires in his work - the virtuoso carving, the deft handling of a wide variety of materials, the shrewd observation and resourceful invention - all this is secondary to the concentration on gesture. The physical stance of the human animal as it negotiates the social arena, the unconscious gait that the body assumes in making its way in the social medium, the emotion traced by the course of a limb, a torso, a head, the features of a face, a coiffure or a costume - from a keen observation of these materials King has garnered a large stock of sculptural images notable for their wit, empathy, simplicity and psychological precision." William Dickey King...

Eugène Laurent (1832 Gray - 1898 Paris), Joan of Arc, around 1880. Brown patinated bronze on a cast rectangular plinth with tree trunk and distaff. 40 cm (height) x 15.5 cm (length) x 15.5 cm (depth), weight 6.1 kg. Signed “E.[ugène] Laurent.” on the plinth and inscribed “HZ” on the reverse. - somewhat stained due to patina, traces of oxidation behind the distaff, slightly rubbed in places, overall still in very good condition for its age - The Liberating Power of Faith - At the age of 13, Jeanne, a peasant girl born in Lorraine around 1412, heard the voices of Saints Catherine and Margaret and the Archangel Michael telling her that she had been chosen to liberate France from English occupation. By 1428, Henry VI's troops had advanced to the Loire and besieged Orléans, a strategic city for the further conquest of France. Joan of Arc went to the exile of Charles VII and, with the king's consent, led the French army into battle against the besiegers. After four days of fighting, the English were defeated and Orléans was liberated. Other victorious battles followed, until in 1430 she fell into the hands of the enemy, who had her executed as a witch by the Inquisition. In May 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at Rouen. After the final expulsion of the English, the "Maid of Orleans" was rehabilitated by the Church in 1456. She was finally canonized in 1920. By then, Joan of Arc had become a national heroine and the patron saint of France. After the French Revolution, the strengthening of the nation-state and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Joan of Arc was again venerated and depicted in numerous bronze statues. Eugène Laurent depicts the young girl listening to the voices of the saints who reveal her destiny. With her eyes wide open, she gazes at the sky as if she were looking at the revealed future. Her hands are clasped in prayer, indicating her willingness to face her destiny. Leaning against a tree trunk, she treads with one foot on a raised stone, which, together with her upward gaze, gives her an upward movement that announces her higher mission. At the same time, however, she steps down from the stone to the earth, emphasizing her earthly mission, for which she has already taken the first step. In doing so, she steps over the discarded distaff, which refers to her "lower" origins and belongs to the life she has now left behind. Laurent manages to capture the fateful emotion that makes us look at Joan of Arc in awe, even though she is a simple peasant girl. Even if the design is aimed at the overall impression, the artist has nevertheless worked out certain details, such as the tied waistcoat, very realistically and, in addition to the skin, has particularly depicted the material quality of the textiles. About the artist Eugène Laurent studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he won a prize in 1860. He then joined the studio of Jacques Antoine Theodore Coinchon. As a freelance artist, he supplied the Paris Salon with statues, portrait busts, and medallions from 1861 to 1893. He also created large sculptures such as the monument to Jacques Callot in Nancy (1877) and the statue of François Boucher at the Paris City Hall. GERMAN VERSION Eugène Laurent (1832 Gray - 1898 Paris), Jeanne d’Arc, um 1880. Braun patinierte Bronze auf mitgegossener rechteckiger Plinthe mit Baumstamm und Spinnrocken. 40 cm (Höhe) x 15,5 cm (Länge) x 15,5, cm (Tiefe), Gewicht 6,1 kg. 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. Es folgten weitere siegreiche Kämpfen bis sie 1430 in die Hände des Feindes fiel, der bei der Inquisition ihre Hinrichtung als Hexe erwirkte. Im Mai 1431 wurde Jeanne d’Arc in Rouen verbrannt. Im Anschluss an die endgültige Vertreibung der Engländer wurde die „Jungfrau von Orléans“ 1456 von der Kirche rehabilitiert. 1920 erfolgte schließlich ihre Heiligsprechung. Inzwischen galt Jeanne d’Arc als Nationalheldin und Schutzpatronin Frankreichs. In der Nachfolge der Französischen Revolution, dem Erstarken der Nationalstaatlichkeit und dem Deutsch-Französischen Krieg von 1870/71 erfuhr Jeanne d‘Art eine neue Verehrung und wurde in zahlreichen Bronzestatuen dargestellt. Eugène Laurent zeigt das junge Mädchen wie sie die Stimmen der Heiligen vernimmt, die ihr das von der Vorsehung bestimmte Schicksal offenbaren. Mit weit geöffneten Augen blickt sie gen Himmel als ob sie die offenbarte Zukunft schauen würde. Dabei hat sie die Hände in Gebetshaltung geschlossen, was zugleich vom Willen kündet, sich ihrem Schicksal zu stellen. An einen Baumstamm gelehnt, tritt sie mit dem einen Fuß auf einen erhöhten Stein, was ihr – zusammen mit dem aufwärts gerichteten Blick – eine von ihrer höheren Mission kündende Aufwärtsbewegung verleiht. Zugleich tritt sie aber auch von dem Stein auf die Erde herab, wodurch ihre irdische Mission hervorgehoben wird, zu der sie bereits den ersten Schritt getan hat. Dabei steigt sie über den abgelegten Spinnrocken hinweg, der auf ihre ‚niedere‘ Herkunft verweist und zum nun abgelegten Leben gehört. Laurent gelingt es, die schicksalhafte Ergriffenheit zur Darstellung zu bringen, die uns Jeanne d‘Arc, obwohl sie ein einfaches Bauernmädchen ist, ehrfürchtig betrachten lässt. Auch wenn die Gestaltung auf den Gesamteindruck zielt, hat der Künstler doch einzelne Details, wie die zugebundene Weste, äußerst realitätsnah herausgearbeitet und neben der Haut insbesondere die stoffliche Qualität der Textilien zur Darstellung gebracht. zum Künstler Eugène Laurent studierte an der Pariser École des Beaux-Arts und wurde 1860 von der Akademie mit einem Preis ausgezeichnet. Anschließend trat er in das Atelier Jacques Antoine Theodore Coinchon ein. Als freischaffender Künstler beschickte er von 1861 bis 1893 den Pariser Salon mit Statuen, Porträtbüsten und Medaillons. Zudem schuf er Großplastiken wie das Denkmal Jacques Callots in Nancy (1877) und die Statue...

Ruth Asawa Bronze Flower, 1979 Cast Bronze relief plaque with original presentation box 5 1/4 × 6 1/4 × 1/4 inches Numbered from the Edition of 2500 Signed and dated 'Asawa 1979' (lower edge) incised in the bronze; numbered; stamped "Designed Exclusively for Crown Zellerbach Corporation"; foundry copyright Cast at the Berkley Arts Foundry for Crown Zellerbach Ruth Asawa's estate is represented by David Zwirner. This beautiful, limited edition signed cast bronze flower plaque...

German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824 Anizy-le-Château - 1887 Sèvres), Reading Woman, around 1880. Polished bronze mounted on a cast base. 33 cm (total height) x 9 cm (length) x 9 cm ...

Ludwig Eisenberger (active in Berlin between 1895-1920), Spear Fighter, around 1910. Brown patinated bronze with residual gilding on a cast terrain plinth with marble base (8 cm high...

Jan Jozef Jaquet (1822 Antwerp - 1898 Brussels), Psyche, 1847. Black-brown and brown patinated bronze on a cast base. 30 cm (height) x 22 cm (width) x 12 cm (depth), weight 5 kg. Ver...

Beautiful abstract sculpture depicting a guitar player. Bronze on wood base measuring 15 x 9 x 4 inches. Actual cast piece without base measuring 17 x 7 x 3 inches. Signed indistinct...

Albert Pierre LaPlanche (1854 Sainte-Menehould - 1935 Chäteau-Thierry), Vigilant sitting shepherd dog, around 1915. Brown patinated bronze on cast terrain plinth. 45 cm (height) x 45...

Tony Hochstetler's "Cowrie Shell" (2015) is an original handmade bronze sculpture that depicts the shell of a cowrie. TONY HOCHSTETLER is a sculptor of unusual animals and botanical...

Reaching, ca. 1980. Cast bronze. Signed in lower region on wrist. A rare example from the artist's later period influenced by figurative abstraction with expressionist tendencies. James Edward Lewis (August 4, 1923 – August 9, 1997) was an African-American artist, art collector, professor, and curator in the city of Baltimore. He is best known for his role as the leading force for the creation of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, an institution of the HBCU Morgan State University. His work as the chairman of the Morgan Art Department from 1950 to 1986 allowed for the museum to amass a large collection of more than 3,000 works, predominantly of African and African diasporan art.[1] In addition, he is also well known for his role as an interdisciplinary artist, primarily focused on sculpture, though also having notable examples of lithography and illustration. His artistic style throughout the years has developed from an earlier focus on African-American history and historical figures, for which he is most notable as an artist, to a more contemporary style of African-inspired abstract expressionism. Early and personal life James E. Lewis was born in rural Phenix, Virginia on August 4, 1923 to James T. Lewis and Pearline (Pearlean) Harvey.[5] Lewis' parents were both sharecroppers. Shortly after his birth, his father moved to Baltimore for increased job opportunity; James E. was subsequently raised by his mother until the family was reunited in 1925. They lived for a short time with distant relatives until moving to a four-bedroom house on 1024 North Durham Street in East Baltimore, a predominantly African-American lower-class neighborhood close to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Lewis' primary school, PS 101, was the only public school in East Baltimore that served black children. Lewis grew up in a church-going family, his parents both active members of the Faith Baptist Church, devoting the entirety of their Sundays to church activities. His parents worked a variety of different jobs throughout his youth:[6] his father working as a stevedore for a shipping company, a mechanic, a custodian, a mailroom handler,[6] and an elevator operator.] His mother worked as both a clerk at a drugstore[7] and a laundress for a private family.[4] Lewis' primary exposure to the arts came from Dr. Leon Winslow, a faculty member at PS 101 who Lewis saw as "providing encouragement and art materials to those who wanted and needed it." In fifth grade, Lewis transferred to PS 102. Here, he was able to receive specialized Art Education in Ms. William's class under the guidance of Winslow. He was considered a standout pupil at PS 102 as a result of his introduction to the connection between the arts and the other studies. His time spent in Ms. Pauline Wharton's class allowed for him to experiment with singing, to which he was considered a talented singer. His involvement in this class challenged his earlier belief that singing was not a masculine artistic pursuit. He was able to study both European classics and negro spirituals, which was one of his earliest introductions to arts specific to American black culture. Under Ms. Wharton's direction, he was also involved in many different musical performances,[6] including some works of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project.[8] Lewis attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, where his love of the arts was heightened through his industrial art class with Lee Davis...