2780 - Ludwig Cauer (1866 Kreuznach – 1947, ibid.)

Ludwig Cauer (1866 Kreuznach – 1947, ibid.) Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck Bronze, with a dark brown patina. Signed and dated 1895. Foundry mark: “Guss v. H. Noack Friedenau-Berlin.” Bismarck stands in a majestic, monumental pose, his hands resting on a sword; this work is presumably related to a 1896 competition entry for a Bismarck monument in Berlin. Ludwig Cauer was a member of the famous Cauer family of sculptors in (Bad) Kreuznach, founded by his grandfather Emil Cauer the Elder, whose work is closely linked to the art of the Wilhelmine era. The third generation—which included not only Ludwig but also Emil the Younger, Robert the Younger, and Hugo—also received their training in the family studio. Ludwig lived in Berlin from 1895 to 1905, where he collaborated with Reinhold Begas. Ludwig’s main focus was on monumental sculpture; and between 1897 and 1901 he designed several statues for Berlin’s Siegesallee, as well as a group of Tritons and a group of Naiads in 1901 for the fountain at the Bismarck National Monument in front of the Reichstag building. Although he had won the competition for the Bismarck Monument in 1896 together with his brother Emil, a design by Reinhold Begas was ultimately executed. The winning design for the Siegesallee likely corresponded to this Bismarck statue. Height: 67 cm. Dark brown patinated bronze. Signed and dated 1895. Foundry mark.