Renowned ‘naturalist’ and ‘expressionist’ sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck ((1881-1919) was born in Meiderich, Germany. In 1895, his career chart began to rise, when he attended the Kunstgewerbeschule for training in sculpture in Düsseldorf, Germany , and had the opportunity to show his works at the Grand Palais in Paris.During his stay in Paris (1910-1914), when he met Modigliani, Brancusi, Matisse and Archipenko, significant changes occurred in Lehmbruck’s sculptural style. associations inspired Lehmbruck to turn towards ‘expressionism’ Many of Wilhelm’s works were exhibited during his stay in Paris, including “Kneeling Women” and “Standing Women”, Salon des Independents (1911), the Sonderbund exhibition (1912 ) and his most famous sculpture “Standing Youth” (1913).Wilhelm’s sculptural works, including nude women, have been recognized for an elongation common to Gothic architecture.
Lehmbruck’s most famous sculpture, “Standing Youth,” measuring 7’8″ x 331/2″ x 263/4″ (233.7 cm x 85.1 cm x 68 cm), is one of the unique creations The artist’s mature sculptural technique was evident in his “Standing Youth” cast stone sculpture, in which the statue’s elongated, gothic bodies with their angular posture and display of earth growth, hint at the ‘Expression ‘ of ‘modern heroism’ in sculpture. is a fusion of ‘naturalism’ and ‘expressionism’. With this sculpture, Wilhelm has paid compassionate tribute to his friends, who lost their lives in the war.
“Standing Youth” has been done in the style of ‘Found Art’, where a sculpture searches for objects to reflect the artistic vision of its creator. Wilhelm’s sculptures were often carved from marble, but with his “extrasensory tectonics” he advanced into the contemporary age in bronze, cast stone, and terracotta figures. Most of his sculptures express a deep longing for love and humanity, transcendence, inner peace and purity. Undoubtedly, Lehmbruck’s magnetic sculptures have left a great mark on the field of ‘expressionist’ sculpture, which can remain brilliant through time immemorial.
The negativities of World War I left Wilhelm Lehmbruck overwhelmed and he fell into depression. He finally committed suicide on March 25, 1919, at the age of 38, in Berlin. Lehmbruck left a legacy of magnificent, distinctive, and award-winning works. Wilhelm’s sculptures adorn various art galleries and museums around the world, including the Tate Gallery (London), the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC), the Lehmbruck Museum (Duisburg), and the Städel Museum (Frankfurt), to name a few. only some. “Standing Youth” is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, USA.
