KOLBE, GEORG
1877 Waldheim/Saxony–1947 Berlin

Title: Sitzende.
Date: 1928/29 (draft).
Technique: Bronze, red-brown-patinated.
Measurement: 26 x 25 x 21 cm.
Notation: Monogrammed on the underside: GK.
Foundry mark: Foundry mark under the left foot H. NOACK BERLIN FRIEDENAU.


One of nine casts manufactured between 1928 and 1929. Another cast was manufactured in 1934.



Provenance:
- - Kunststiftung Baden

-private collection North Rhine-Westphalia


Literature:
- Berger, Ursel: Georg Kolbe - Leben und Werk. Mit dem Katalog der Kolbe-Plastiken im Georg-Kolbe-Museum, Berlin 1990, p. 314



- One of ten known casts during the artist's lifetime, posthumous casts are not known

- Casting the "Sitzende" Kolbe reached his most balanced depiction of the powerfully closed form one year after his wife's death

- Impressive example of Kolbe's reduced design language from the time of his artistic breakthrough



Georg Kolbe is considered one of the defining sculptors of classical modernism in Germany and enjoys broad international recognition. Initially influenced by Art Nouveau, he developed a distinctive, reduced visual language that combines classical ideals of proportion and harmony with a modern understanding of volume and movement. His sculptures were exhibited internationally at an early stage and entered major museum collections, including the Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Tate in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Kolbe’s oeuvre is characterized by a focus on the human body as a self-contained, rhythmically articulated form and occupies a central position within twentieth-century European sculpture.

The bronze Seated Woman (Sitzende) depicts a female figure in a low, slightly forward-leaning posture. The body is compactly composed: the legs are bent, while the arms are braced behind the figure, providing the composition with a stable foundation. From this compact arrangement emerges a clearly defined, self-contained form imbued with subtle inner tension. The surface is finely worked and displays a vibrant, slightly irregular modeling. The reddish-brown patina emphasizes the materiality of the bronze, allowing light to glide softly across its relief-like surface.

The downward inclination of the head avoids direct eye contact, lending the figure an introverted, almost contemplative presence. The closed composition reinforces the impression of inward reflection. At the same time, the slight twist of the torso introduces a subtle dynamism that activates the sculptural space. Seated Woman achieves its effect less through narrative elements than through the balance of mass, posture, and inner tension.

Seated Woman is regarded as one of Kolbe’s most compelling solutions for the depiction of a powerfully self-contained figure. With only ten known lifetime casts and no posthumous editions, the work possesses particular rarity and considerable art-historical significance.



Estimated shipping costs for this lot:
The lot is unsuitable for parcel shipping. Transport only by shipping company after consultation following the auction.

additional shipping insurance


Shipping insurance

up to total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: max. 41.65 Euro

over a total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: 1.8 o/oo


USA by individual arrangement after the auction.




#Georg Kolbe #Expressionism #Berlin Secession #Germany #Modern Art #1920s #Sculptures.







In accordance with §26 UrhG (German Copyright Act), VAN HAM is obliged to pay a statutory resale royalty on the sale proceeds of all original works of fine art and photography whose authors have not been deceased for 70 years prior to the end of the calendar year of the sale. The buyer shall contribute 1.5% of the hammer price to this fee.