Lot Essay
August Karl Eduard Kiss, a pupil of Christian Daniel Rauch, worked on the design of the Kämpfende Amazone mit Panther as early as 1834. By 1837, a life size model in clay was made which was then exhibited in 1839 to much public and critical acclaim.
Even the King gave the young artist 5000 thalers to defray his expenses for the life size model. An association was formed to pay for the monument to be cast in bronze and then, 1843, to be installed on the right staircase of Carl Friedrich Schinkel's Altes Museum in Berlin.
Only two marble examples are mentioned in the literature on this model. The one in the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (127cm. high), which is signed and dated 1865, was presented by the artist to the Antwerp Academy in that year. Another example was commissioned by King Ludwig of Bavaria. (P. Bloch, S. Einholz, J von Simson, p. 145)
This internationally renowned monument combined the tradition of classicism so popular in early 19th century Germany with a new violence, emotion and sensuality. The bÿrutality of the Amazon's face aÿnd posture and the impact of the lion's attack were found to be disturbing, beautiful and innovative. Such expression had previously only been seen in the work of the French artists Delacroix and Barye. August Kiss' Kämpfende Amazone mit Panther remains a cornerstone in the definition of the Romantic movement.
Cf. P. Bloch, S. Einzholz and J. von Simson, Ethos und Pathos die Berliner Bildhauerschule 1786-1914, Berlin, 1990, Vol. I, pp. 143-145, cat. no. 114, Vol. II, pp. 96, 101-104, figs. 16,17, pp. 112-113, 116, 118-119, fig 1, pp. 311, 313-314, fig. 5 and p. 344, fig. 7 for further information on the model
Even the King gave the young artist 5000 thalers to defray his expenses for the life size model. An association was formed to pay for the monument to be cast in bronze and then, 1843, to be installed on the right staircase of Carl Friedrich Schinkel's Altes Museum in Berlin.
Only two marble examples are mentioned in the literature on this model. The one in the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (127cm. high), which is signed and dated 1865, was presented by the artist to the Antwerp Academy in that year. Another example was commissioned by King Ludwig of Bavaria. (P. Bloch, S. Einholz, J von Simson, p. 145)
This internationally renowned monument combined the tradition of classicism so popular in early 19th century Germany with a new violence, emotion and sensuality. The bÿrutality of the Amazon's face aÿnd posture and the impact of the lion's attack were found to be disturbing, beautiful and innovative. Such expression had previously only been seen in the work of the French artists Delacroix and Barye. August Kiss' Kämpfende Amazone mit Panther remains a cornerstone in the definition of the Romantic movement.
Cf. P. Bloch, S. Einzholz and J. von Simson, Ethos und Pathos die Berliner Bildhauerschule 1786-1914, Berlin, 1990, Vol. I, pp. 143-145, cat. no. 114, Vol. II, pp. 96, 101-104, figs. 16,17, pp. 112-113, 116, 118-119, fig 1, pp. 311, 313-314, fig. 5 and p. 344, fig. 7 for further information on the model