Georg Kolbe is a unique German sculptor
Georg Kolbe is a unique German sculptor whose genius talent was recognized by the Nazis, communists and democrats alike
Georg Kolbe (April 15, 1877 November 20, 1947) is a famous German sculptor of the first half of the twentieth century, an outstanding master of classicism and symbolism. He has been a respected and sought-after artist for most of his professional career. His work was highly appreciated by the authorities of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, as well as both post-war German republics (FRG and GDR). The master’s biography is closely connected with Berlin, where he lived for over 40 years.
Georg Kolbe left a noticeable mark not only in sculpture, his creative heritage includes a huge number of drawings and hundreds of beautiful engravings. And in the former studio of the artist, there is now a museum, which constantly hosts personal exhibitions of the works of the greatest sculptors of modern art.
Biography
Georg Kolbe was born on April 15, 1877 in the small town of Waldheim in eastern Germany. He was the fourth child in the family of a local artist and from early childhood was fond of drawing, like his elder brother Rudolf (Rudolf Kolbe), who later became a famous architect.
After graduating from high school, Georg entered the College of Applied Arts in Dresden, where he studied for two years, and then became a student at the Munich Academy of Arts with a degree in painting. But the traditional teaching methods quickly disappointed Kolbe, and in 1897 he dropped out of a prestigious university and went to Paris. In the capital of France, he began attending classes at the private academy of Julian (Académie Julian), but studied there for only one semester, after which he forever abandoned the idea of obtaining a diploma in higher art education.
Georg Kolbe, who at that time was only 21 years old, went to Rome, where he met and became close friends with the German sculptor Louis Tuaillon. By that time, the young artist had completely lost interest in painting and was in an active search for new ways to realize his creative potential. At first he tried his hand at lithography, but soon, under the influence of Tuayon, he became interested in sculpture and made the final choice in its favor.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Georg Kolbe traveled a lot around the world.
He visited Tunisia and Algeria, traveled all over Italy and visited Belgium, where he met the aspiring Dutch singer Benjamin, who soon became his wife. Having entered into an official marriage, the aspiring artist and his wife settled in Leipitz, where their only daughter Eleanor was born. Meanwhile, the obvious center of German contemporary art in those years was Berlin, where the best masters of the German Empire lived and worked. Therefore, Kolbe moved to the capital in 1904 and became an active participant in the Berlin Secession movement, which united opponents of academicism.
Despite the strong influence of the Expressionists, Georg was already by the beginning of the 1910s. managed to develop their own unique style. In 1912 he created the sculptural composition “Dancer”, which brought wide fame to the young master. After that, Kolbe became a very popular artist, and his works became regular participants in Berlin and international exhibitions.
In 1914, in the wake of universal patriotism, Georg Kolbe volunteered for the German army and was sent to the Eastern Front. Fortunately, he served three years as a truck driver away from the front lines and did not take part in combat operations. And in 1917 he was recalled from the front to carry out an important government task. The young sculptor was commissioned to create a monument to the fallen German soldiers buried in a cemetery in the outskirts of Istanbul. For this work, shortly before the end of the war, the Ministry of Culture of Prussia awarded the master the title of professor.
Upon returning home in 1919, the sculptor was finally able to devote himself entirely to his work.
He was elected an honorary member of the German Academy of Arts and almost simultaneously with this the head of the “Free Secession”. The works of the master enjoyed great interest among the public, his financial condition grew rapidly thanks to a large number of orders, including from abroad.
The artist’s happy life was suddenly cut short by the death of his beloved wife in February 1927. The 50-year-old master decided to leave the center of the capital and moved to live on the outskirts of Berlin, where he had recently built a luxurious mansion with a spacious studio. Gradually he got rid of depression and returned to active creative work.
The Nazis who came to power in 1933 immediately began to pursue a harsh art policy in Germany, from which many prominent artists suffered. But Kolbe’s work was recognized by the fascist regime worthy of the greatness of the German people, and the master himself was again in demand.
Although Georg never publicly admired the ideas of the Nazis, he regularly took part in the propaganda “Great German Art Exhibitions” in Munich in 1937-1944. And for the 65th anniversary, Kolbe was awarded an honorary medal in the field of arts, which was personally presented to him by Joseph Goebbels. Nevertheless, some of the master’s works were classified as “degenerate art” and were mercilessly destroyed by members of the Hitler Youth youth movement.
In 1939, the aging artist underwent a difficult operation to remove a malignant tumor on the bladder, but still found the strength and returned to work. And when in 1943, after an Allied air raid, his house was badly damaged by the bombing, the sculptor moved to live in Silesia. In January 1945, despite the approach of the Red Army, the master returned to Berlin, where he met the end of World War II. By that time, he had almost completely lost his sight, and cancer cells again began to attack the worn out body.
The new authorities, despite their reputation slightly tarnished by cooperation with the Nazis, respected the terminally ill sculptor and did not bully him. But the life path of a genius was rapidly approaching the end and on November 20, 1947, Georg Kolbe passed into eternity in his home on the outskirts of Berlin at the age of 70.
The most famous works of Georg Kolbe
The ingenious master has created many beautiful masterpieces of sculpture, painting and graphics. And yet, the most famous works of Georg Kolbe are:
- The Dancer (1912) is a masterpiece that brought the young artist universal fame. The figure of a fragile young woman with arms outstretched to the sides, which delighted visitors to the capital’s exhibition, was immediately acquired by the National Gallery of Art.
- The monument to Heinrich Heine (1913) is a work with a very difficult fate. This monument was removed from the pedestal by the Nazis after they came to power and only 14 years later returned to its original place.
- Bellona (1922) a work depicting the ancient Roman goddess of war, awakening a warrior before battle. This masterpiece was originally adorned with a fountain in the station square of Wuppertal, and today it is located on the lawn of the central park.
- The Beethoven Monument in Frankfurt am Main (1951) is a sculptural composition on which the artist worked for over 20 years. It is interesting that this masterpiece was ordered from the master of the Berlin government back in 1926, but it was installed four years after the author’s death in a completely different city.
Georg Kolbe is a brilliant German artist whose works still amaze art connoisseurs with the perfect harmony of images. And in the memory of his descendants, he will forever remain a great sculptor, worthy of respect and admiration.
