Rudolf Henn (1880-1955) Nackter Jungling mit Spiegel (Nude Ephebe with Mirror) ca. 1900

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The Rudolf Henn bronze arrived from the German auction house this week. Unfortunately, there is some damage to the mirror frame which was not disclosed in the lot description. The moral of the story is, don't be a complete moron like me, ask for a complete condition report from the auction house before you blow big bucks on something. Fortunately, I have located a very competent art bronze master who, hopefully, if I can afford it, will reverse the damage and bring this beautiful work of art back up to its original condition. The base and figure itself is in pristine condition fortunately. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Enjoy.
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Jacob Maris (1837-1899): Academic Male Nude

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Portrait of the artist, Jacob Maris (1837-1899)

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An Auction seller listed this nice academic male nude on a European Auction site this morning. Jacob Maris (1837-1899) was a very well listed Dutch painter of landscapes, marine paintings, genre scenes, and figures. Maris came from a famous Dutch family of artists and was greatly influenced by his father, a painter in the Hague. Maris became a master of 19th century Dutch painting. At the age of 12, he became a student at the Academy of Art in the Hague. In 1865 he attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He exhibited at the Paris salon frequently.

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Here is just a sampling of Maris' large body of works:

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Hermann Volkerling (1875-1924):Standing Male Nude With Orb (Adam With His Apple?)

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Portrait of Hermann Volkerling (above)

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Last night at auction I bought an academic male nude by Hermann Volkerling (1875-1924). The figure is depicted from behind holding what the seller described as "an orb." Knowing what I do about the 19th century Art Academy I suspect that orb is an apple and the figure is a representation of the Biblical "Adam." That's just my opinion and not gospel delivered from above or below. I was unable to dig up much biographical information on Volkerling (don't forget the umlaut on the o) other than he was a painter, studied at the Academie in Wroclaw in the late 19th century, and under Carl Marr in Munich. I will probably send this one down to the conservation lab and have the damage to the varnish repaired and restored.

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Caption: Standing Male Nude with Orb (possibly depiction of Adam)

Artist: Hermann Volkerling (1875-1924)

Material: Oils on 19th century Artist Board

Dated: circa. 1900

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Here is another example of Volkerling's works:

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19th Century Continental Painter: Mother With Playing Children

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Auctionshaus Michael Zeller, Lindau, DE. just listed this beautiful work in their current auction catalog. They list the title as "Motherhood - Mother with Two Playing Children," but the overall feel to my eye is a nontraditional "Madonna with Christ and St. John." That standing nude boy has that "Christ Child" look to his demeanor. One man's portrait is another man's stylized elephant, I guess. It is a beautifully executed work regardless the subject matter and applied title.
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Maz Slevogt (1868-1932): Der Triumph des Gambrinus (The Triumph of Gambrinus) 1928

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Max Slevogt - Self-portrait

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Galerie Bassenge, Berlin, DE. has recently listed a work by Max Slevogt (1868-1932)(directly below) in their auction catalog. It is a gouache and watercolor on vellum and dates from 1928. The title is: Der Triumph of Gambrinus (The Triumph of Gambinus). The work is a study for a life sized wall painting that Slevogt created for the former Berliner Kindl Brewery, which was destroyed during the Second World war. The artwork is in a pyramidal composition wherein the main character is Gambrinus supported by two smaller satyrs and his club. If you are not familiar with King Gambrinus and you are a beer drinker, then you should be ashamed of yourself. King Bambrinus was alleged to be the inventor of beer brewing and is said to have learned the craft of brewing from his mother, the ancient Egyptian Queen Isis. With its subdued colors and fresh lively drawing, this is truly an imaginative work.

Max Slevogt was a German Impressionist painter and illustrator, and along with Lovis Corinth and Max Liebermann, was one of Germany's premier plein air style painters. He studied at the Munich Academy from 1885-1889. He traveled to Paris in 1889 where he attended the Academe Julian. He had his first solo exhibition in Vienna in 1897. In 1900 he was represented in the German pavilion of the World Exhibition with the work Scheherezade. During WWI he acted as an official war painter to the western front. In 1901 he joined the Berlin Secession.

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Here is a sampling of his other works:

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Die Ringerschule

Frauenraub

Faun & a Girl

The Family

Danae

Achiles