539 - Ernst Barlach (1870 Wedel – Rostock 1938)

Ernst Barlach (1870 Wedel – Rostock 1938) The Singing Man Bronze with a brownish-greenish patina. (1928). Height approx. 49.5 cm. One of 38 posthumous castings. Signed on the left side of the footrest and bearing the foundry mark “H. NOACK BERLIN” on the right side of the footrest. Laur 432. • One of Ernst Barlach’s most popular figures • Here, human emotion is distilled into a timeless expression • Cast in bronze by the long-established Noack art foundry in Berlin In the 1920s, Ernst Barlach’s formal language became increasingly refined. After a trip to Russia in 1906, he had undergone profound experiences that fundamentally transformed his art—he now devoted himself to the human condition as such—and in the 1920s, his forms became more harmonious and simplified. “The Singing Man” is an example of this successful harmony between simple form and universal human expression: Barlach shapes the figure here by tracing a triangle. The man sits on the ground with his legs bent; with his left knee cradled by both arms, he leans back with his eyes closed, singing. The expression on his face—a mixture of ecstasy, contentment, and meditative absorption—is timeless. Singing as a cultural practice and music as a gateway to the world of emotions repeatedly find their way into Barlach’s work. Across various media, the artist explores the emotions associated with these themes, thereby highlighting his own deep interest in music—he himself appreciates folk music just as much as the German classics. Yet his explorations of the theme are not localized: Barlach does not situate his “Singer” in any specific time or place, nor can we surmise why he is singing; we witness the primal human experience of singing! With his “Singing Man,” Ernst Barlach created an Expressionist sculpture that remains one of the artist’s best-known works to this day. Provenance: Private collection, Berlin; In private hands by inheritance ever since. Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).