"Mailman, " Rare and Important WPA Maquette and Bronze by Rudolf Henn

Rudolph Henn was born in Olsbrücken, Germany, In 1901. Henn studied figural sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts in Munich, counting Syrius Eberle and Heinrich Waderé among many other famous classmates. In 1907, he worked as a model maker for an ethnographic expedition to the Dutch East Indies. In 1908, after his studies, he was freelancing in Munich until 191, when he was drafted as a soldier. After World War I, Henn moved his workshop to Kaiserslautern and after his marriage; two of his daughters were born. In 1929, during the Great Depression, the family immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. Since 1936, Henn was actively involved in the artistic design of the Harlem River Houses residential complex that developed under the Treasury Relief Art Project. There, he collaborated with Heinz Warnecke with Theodore Barbarossa, Erwin Springweiler and Richmond Barthé. In addition to large-scale monuments in public spaces, Henn continued to create smaller-scale bronze pieces. Many of his bronze works are of children, including fountain sculptures.