Gents,
In the previous lion thread I was telling you about the Bavarian lion series that's mostly attributed to the sculptor, Professor Ernst Andreas Rauch, who worked for Nymphenburg. I'm sure some of you may have seen these figures in passing, especially if you check out eBay porcelain from time to time. There are always some fine examples on German eBay, to include some of the really large, exceptional examples that go for prices over 10K. Although this series may be commonly known as being the
work of Prof. Rauch, that is a misnomer, as there were several other artists involved in producing this Bavarian line of lion sculptures.
One of the other highly talented and notable sculptors was Josef Wackerle, who produced many figures and sculptures during the TR period. Here's a lion that he produced for the Nymphenburg series right after the war in 1946. This one is entitiled, "Barocker L�we," or Baroque Lion. This style dominated European art and architecture throughout the 17th century, and lasted in some places as late as 1750. It was a dynamic, theatrical style that blended realism, ornate forms and illusionism to achieve its effect. You can easily see where some of the magnificent lion's head swords borrowed their styling and inspiration from when studying these early animal sculptures.
Josef Wackerle created war memorials in Kehlheim, Partenkirchen, N�rnberg, Schweinfurt as well as other towns. During the Third Reich period, Wackerle generally worked on projects together with Ludwig Troost. His style in those days is known as "tectonic sculpture," in which movement and Baroque forms are combined. One of his best known works of that time was the Neptune Fountain in Munich, May 29, 1937. Wackerle also created a series of commissions for prominent buildings. Among them were the reliefs for the Hotel Rheinischer Hof in Munich, the high-rise building of the Zeiss optics company in Jena, as well as the four meter high bell figures for another high-rise in Leipzig, along with Prof. Troost. From 1936 the admired and successful sculptor was a member of the Reich Cultural Council, followed by a membership in the Presidential Council of the Reich Cultural Chamber. On the occasion of his 60th birthday in 1940, Hitler nominates him for the award of the Goethe Medal for Art and Science.
As for his credentials and qualifications, enough said ...
Best regards!
Bill
