540 - Fritz Koenig (1924, Würzburg – Altdorf, 2017)

Fritz Koenig (1924, Würzburg – Altdorf, 2017) Maternitas Bronze with a dark brown patina. (1957). Approx. 19.5 x 13.5 x 8 cm. One of only 6 copies. Monogrammed on the lower left. Clarenbach 156. • This rare, exceptionally harmonious small sculpture is a key work of postwar German modernism • The “Large Maternitas” stands today in the park of the former Federal Chancellor’s bungalow in Bonn • Fritz Koenig is one of the few internationally renowned German sculptors The “Maternitas” holds special significance as a motif in Fritz Koenig’s oeuvre. The group of figures—the mother with her children—whose physicality is reduced to basic geometric forms, combines organic curves with block-like, almost tectonic elements. Highly characteristic of Koenig’s early work is the expansive yet internally serene composition, which dissolves the separation between the individual figures. Mother and children form a sculptural unity. This rare small sculpture, produced in an edition of only 6 copies, was created alongside the “Large Maternitas” (1957/58), which today stands in the park of the former Federal Chancellor’s bungalow in Bonn and is a key work of postwar West German modernism. Fritz Koenig originally created the sculpture for a prominent international exhibition: it was displayed in the German Pavilion at the “Expo 58” World’s Fair in Brussels, which had been designed by the architects Sep Ruf and Egon Eiermann. When Sep Ruf built the Federal Chancellor’s Bungalow in Bonn a few years later (1963/64) on commission from Ludwig Erhard, the “Große Maternitas” found its permanent home in the surrounding park grounds as a symbol of the new beginning and the democratic culture of the “Bonn Republic.” Provenance: Otto Roth Collection, Munich, acquired directly from the artist; Private collection, Southern Germany. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).