Lot 52 : Franz von Stuck (German, 1863-1928)
Auction Location: United Kingdom - 2002
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Description:
Athlet signed 'Franz von Stuck' (at the centre of the base); and stamped with the foundry mark 'Guss C. Leyrer. M쳌nchen' (on the reverse of the base) bronze with black patina Height: 26 in. (66 cm.) First conceived in 1892 and cast in the artist's lifetime PROVENANCE By descent directly from the artist to the present owner. LITERATURE A. Heilmann, Die Plastik Franz von Stucks. Studien zur Monographie und Formentwicklung, Dissertation, Technische Universit„t, Munich, 1985, pp. 26-60, 384-86, no. 1. NOTES Athlet was Franz Stuck's first bronze sculpture, and together with Amazone (lot 55) is probably his best known. The artist was only 28 years old when he created this idealised athlete, lifting up a heavy ball to head height. Stuck produced numerous sketches and anatomical studies for this work, along with a series of photographs in order to portray the effort involved in lifting up the ball with such exactitude. This sculpture appears to have held a great importance for the artist, and in the numerous photographs of the Villa Stuck casts of Athlet can often be seen in prominent positions. The sculpture is also depicted in the large-scale double portrait Franz and Mary Stuck in the studio, of 1892 (private collection).
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