Abyssinian Sculpture by Johannes Bjerg, Denmark, ca. 1915

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Abyssinian Sculpture by Johannes Bjerg, Denmark, ca. 1915

About the Item

Lifesize plaster sculpture by Johannes Bjerg (1886-1955) Denmark ca. 1915 Johannes Bjerg was a Danish sculptor most known for work in the Classical style. He was born near Kolding, and although his family did not have a lot of money, his father placed a strong importance on education. Bjerg loved art from an early age, covering his bedroom with art prints and illustrations, though his earliest teachers were not supportive of his desire to be an artist. After a brief period as an accounting apprentice, Bjerg joined the furniture firm A.L. Johansen & Son in 1907 as an apprentice, where he excelled. At the end of his time there, Bjerg created a wood bust of his father, for which he won a silver metal. Bjerg moved to Copenhagen in 1908, where he continued wood carving for furniture companies, as well as creating his own personal work, including additional family busts, shown in 1909 at Charlottenborg Palace. Later that year, Bjerg traveled to Paris, where he met Auguste Rodin, which he called “one of the most important lessons of his life.” While in Paris, Bjerg became a member of the Section d’Or, a source of Cubic inspiration, creating a Cubist-inspired bust of the Finnish sculptor Bertil Nilsson in 1912. With the outbreak of World War I, Bjerg returned home to Denmark, creating his most iconic works, including Abessinieren (Abyssinian) in 1915. Bjerg created a plaster study for The Abyssinian before fabricating three bronze copies in 1915. Described as one of Bjerg’s most famous works, it is most famously installed at the foot of the Spanish Stairs in Kolding, as a part of the extending gardens of the Koldinghus Castle and Museum. Another copy is in the Statens Museum for Kunst (the State Art Museum) in Copenhagen. By the 1920s, Bjerg was one of Denmark’s most prominent sculptor, creating numerous official monuments in the traditional Danish Neoclassical style. In 1945, he became a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he was director from 1943 – 1946. He received the Thorvaldsen Medal in 1944, which is awarded annually by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, their highest distinction within the visual arts.

Dimensions:
Height: 72 in (182.88 cm)Diameter: 21 in (53.34 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Plaster
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
1910-1919
Date of Manufacture:
1915
Condition:
Minor losses.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU78604167443