Beastiary

In 20th century figurative sculpture, the embodiment of animals always played an important role alongside the depiction of humans. Quite a few representatives of 20th century autonomous sculpture turned to the animal motif; for some – such as August Gaul, Renée Sintenis or Fritz Behn – the animal was even the focus of their work. The biological diversity of the “models” is likely to have fascinated the artists, perhaps also the greater freedom and lightness that animal sculpture allows, whereas tradition and ethical principles always play a role in human images.
The publication of Brehm’s Tierleben and the opening of numerous zoos and zoological gardens in the 19th century (e.g. Berlin Zoo in 1844 or Hagenbeck Zoo in 1863) facilitated a new understanding and a new way of looking at animals. These ranged from naturalistic, precise anatomical studies to an expressive, reduced view of the animal.
The fascination for wild animals, the strange creature and, on the other hand, the close relationship to man’s friends – dog, cat, horse – is evident. While the sculptor Fritz Behn traveled to Africa and studied animal life there, Renée Sintenis mostly devoted herself to the domestic animal world and studied the animals in the zoo.
The exhibition at the Georg-Kolbe-Museum shows how differently the sculptors approached the animal models. Although they mostly stuck to a representational mode of depiction, the exhibition covers a broad spectrum between naturalism and stylized, abstract reduction. Precise observation is usually the starting point, and the artists are equally interested in the diverse formal possibilities of transforming the natural model into a work of art.

Visitors young and old, art lovers and animal lovers alike will enjoy the presentation at the Georg-Kolbe-Museum.

“Of course, the Venus de Milo is also beautiful. But she only has two legs…”
(Loriot on the bronze of a female pug)

List of artists (selection):
Fritz Behn, Max Esser, August Gaul, Hermann Geibel, Phillip Harth, Gerhard Marcks, Ewald Mataré, Richard Scheibe, Renée Sintenis