Wedding Rings
Peter Lipman-Wulf was born in 1905 in Germany, a Christian born to a family with Jewish heritage. He was chosen as the State Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin’s Master Stone Carver, but was forced to leave his position and flee to France after Hitler came to power. In 1937, he was awarded the gold medal at the Exposition Mondiale in Paris, but in 1939-1940, he was interned with many other artists and intellectuals. In 1942, he was able to escape to Switzerland with his Swiss wife and daughter. He emigrated to the United States in 1947, where he made his home in New York City until relocating to Long Island, in the mid-1970s. He died on September 26, 1993, in Europe, while attending several openings of his exhibits in France. The sculpture Wedding Rings was first sculpted from Brazilian rosewood in 1953. It was exhibited under the name Embrace, then as Rings. Eventually, Lipman-Wulf’s then-wife, Muriel, had the idea to call it Wedding Rings, since the artist’s poverty had prevented the couple from buying wedding rings at the time. Thus renamed and exhibited in 1958, the piece received much attention. Shortly thereafter, a photo of the statue appeared in a Sunday New York Times Magazine article in the wedding section, and the piece instantly became much sought-after. The timeless sculpture’s popularity has been ever-growing since.
297V 8"
298VMB 16.5"
299VMB 12.25"
Nike
Goddess and winged messenger of victory in ancient Greece, Nike symbolizes effort and determination against all odds. She is also recognized as a mediator between gods and mortals. Athenians dedicated her statue in Delphi following a naval victory over the Persians in 480 B.C.
130AW 10"
131AW 16"
Ionic Column
Harmony in form and function is the hallmark of this masterfully conceived Ioniccolumn from Classical Greece architecture. The Ioniccolumn included simple yet graceful lines with a flared capital at the top to support a horizontal cross beam. The Ioniccolumn was a central feature of Greek Revival architecture in 19th century America. Its presence as a dominant architectural feature in public and private buildings communicates grace, symmetry, and strength.
305M 36"
Degas Rose
Even when not performing, this delicate dancer appears in fluid motion, blending the fierce pride of a ballerina with sharply defined muscles and graceful control. Rose is an adaptation from Degas' painting Danseuses: Rose et Vert (1894)
309MC 8"
Age of Bronze
The Age of Bronze is one of Rodin's great masterpieces. It conveys seriousness and emotional depth, and symbolizes "one who is passing from the unconsciousness of primitive man into the age of understanding and love."
334B 20"
The Kiss
This work by Rodin is one of the world's most recognized and appreciated artistic depictions of physical love.
336AW 13"
The Thinker
The Thinker is considered by many to be Rodin's most celebrated work. It was conceived as part of his monumental Gates of Hell, inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. Originally titled "The Poet," The Thinker represents Dante himself. This reproduction was made from the heroic size bronze original in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art. This reproduction features a wood base.
337B 11"
Thinker Bookends
The Thinker, Rodin's most celebrated work, was conceived as part of his monumental Gates of Hell. This immense bronze ornamental gate was inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. The Thinker sits at the summit of the Gates and represents the poet meditating on his creation below. This reproduction was made from the heroic size bronze original, now part of the collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art.
339B 9"
Eternal Springtime
Exhibited at the Salon for the first time in 1898, Eternal Springtime was entitled Cupid and Psyche. Resting on its back, together with a figure closely related to The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone, the torso was later used in the work known as Illusions Received by the Earth. Like many of Rodin’s works, Eternal Springtime is the result of the grouping of figures at least one of which was already in existence. It was a plaster of this version, now in the Rodin Museum, the Rodin gave to Robert Louis Stevenson in 1885. The demand for this work soon became very great and a number of marble replicas were made.
340WM 8"
David
The Michelangelo David (1501-4) is probably the most famous image of a male nude in the world. The colossal figure (more than 14 feet tall) was carved from a huge block of marble which had been abandoned by another sculptor, Agostino di Duccio. This young David, unlike the others, is a symbol of Florence — young, strong, valiant in fighting off its rivals, triumphant against terrible odds. But the Michelangelo more importantly glories in the divinity of the human body...there is no sword, no severed head, just the man.
509BM 12"
The Cathedral
A beautiful depiction of the intersection of man's physicality and spirituality. Original is in bronze and is housed in the Rodin Museum-Philadelphia Museum of Art.
515B 10"
The Thinker
Rodin's most celebrated work, conceived as part of his monumental Gates of Hell, inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. This reproduction was made from the heroic size bronze original in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art.
338B 11"
704B 6"
Adam
The influence of Michaelangelo can be seen in this work by Rodin. Adam has been well described as "powerful but immobilized being," in this embodiment of the story of Genesis.
730B 18"
Eve
According to Walker Art Center curators, "The graceful, athletic Italian woman he (Rodin) used as his model for 'Eve,' the mother of all humanity, added an unexpected naturalism to the sculpture, as she was pregnant."
731B 18"
Corcoran Lion
This magnificent lion is one of a pair of large bronze lions that flank the main entrance of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. These lions were bought in 1888 at the auction of the estate of Bill Holliday, founder of the Pony Express. The lions are copies from the originals by Antonio Canova, which adorn the cenotaph of Pope Clement XIII in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome.
740M 5.5"
Chopin
Polish pianist and composer Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born in 1810 and was already composing music by the time he turned seven. Known as “little Chopin” throughout Warsaw, by age twelve, his piano skills surpassed those of his instructor. By age twenty, Chopin had written some of the world’s best concertos, ballads, and preludes, which he spent the next two decades performing throughout Europe, his considerable talent continuously praised by critics and audiences alike. He died in 1849 from tuberculosis.
745W 11"
Degas Dancer
Posed as only a true dancer could, Degas' Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen) stands as one of the most celebrated and recognized sculptures of modern times. This reproduction is inspired by the original work in the Baltimore Museum of Art.
307MC 13.5"
754MC 8"