Wilhelm Lehmbruck’s “Standing Youth”
Giles Dancer
HUM/266
September 7, 2010
Dr. Marie Orizondo-Harding
[pic]
Wilhelm Lehmbruck’s “Standing Youth” Well-known sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881-1919) sired in Meiderich, Germany (Labedzki, 2010). Wilhelm Lehmbruck had talent enough to produce an interesting artistic sculpture called “Standing Youth” in 1913. Lehmbruck's sculptures mostly center on the human figure and both Expressionism and Naturalism come into play (Labedzki, 2010). His many artistic productions entail both nude male and female (Labedzki, 2010). Labedzki (2010), " 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” (para. 2). Important changes in Lehmbruck's sculpturing style began to appear as a result of his stay in Paris from1910 to 1914, after spending time with Modigliani, Brancusi, Matisse, and Archipenko. Their presence influenced Lehmbruck to move toward Expressionism (Labedzki, 2010). Lehmbruck’s experienced technique was obvious in his sculpture of "Standing Youth," in which the statue's gothicized, lengthened bodies with their lanky positioning, and the display of emerging from the earth, lean toward a representation of Modern Heroism in sculpturing (Labedzki, 2010). After seeing an Auguste Rodin art exhibit Lehmbruck’s work was forever affected. According to World Wide Art Resources (2010), “Lehmbruck returned to Germany at the start of World War I and worked in a hospital. During this period of employment, he witnessed much suffering and trauma, which was later reflected in his artwork and in his mental health” (Biography, para. 1). This and many other factors came into play to both influence his art pieces and possibly have led him down the path to his eventual suicide. According to MoMA PS1 (2009), “A radical change