7230 - Stötzer, Werner

Stötzer, Werner Steinheider Torso Cast stone. 1966/1990s. 92 x 43 x 27 cm. The “Steinheider Torso” is one of Werner Stötzer’s early and characteristic stone works. The artist carved the original, created in 1966, from a block of red sandstone found near Lauscha in the Thuringian Forest. During this period, Stötzer had begun to engage intensively with working directly on stone and developed that characteristic fusion of the human figure and natural material that would come to define his subsequent sculptural work. The towering figure remains closely tied to the original form of the stone block. The body, head, and limbs are carved out only to the extent that the human form becomes discernible against the rough surface. The block-like unity is preserved, as are the traces of the carving process. It is precisely through the interplay of sections left raw and those sculpturally compacted that the torso develops its archaic presence. The human figure does not appear to have been imposed on the material, but rather seems to have emerged from it, as it were. A total of three casts were made from the stone. Our cast was produced at the Marcus Schulz Art Foundry in Berlin. Accompanied by an expert report by Sylvia Hagen, the artist’s widow, Seelow, dated July 27, 2026 (copy provided). Provenance: Private collection, Berlin (purchased directly from the artist) - We ask that you request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is only indicated in the catalog in exceptional cases. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.