Carl Milles

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Carl Milles at his desk in 1955
Carl Milles signature

Carl Milles (born June 23, 1875 near Knivsta ; † September 19, 1955 in Lidingö near Stockholm ; actually Carl Emil Wilhelm Andersson ) was one of the most important Swedish sculptors, who was best known for his fountains.

Life

Carl Milles studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1897 . During the years 1920-1931 he was a professor at the Art Academy in Stockholm . During these years Milles received orders all over Europe and overseas, he constantly commuted between the European capitals.

Since Milles had many commissions in the USA and was offered a professorship there, he moved with his wife Olga to Cranbrook near Detroit in 1931 . The Cranbrook Academy of Art was opened in Cranbrook in 1926 , where Milles' friend, the Finn Eliel Saarinen , taught architecture . Milles himself took over the subject of sculpture in 1932, which he held until 1951. In 1945 he became an American citizen. In 1947 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters .

In 1951 Olga and Carl Milles returned to Sweden, and he had converted his home on Lidingö , Millesgården , into a foundation in 1936 and given it to the Swedish people. Today Millesgården is an art museum with a sculpture garden. Milles lived in Rome until his death in 1955 , where the American Academy provided him with an apartment with a studio free of charge.

Carl Milles was married to Olga Milles , b. Granner (1874–1967), an Austrian artist, and brother of the artist Ruth Milles (1873–1941).

Works

Carl Milles' most famous works in Sweden include the Poseidon statue in Gothenburg , the Gustav Wasa statue in the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, the Orfeus group in front of the concert hall in Stockholm and the Folke Filbyter statue in Linköping . The latter is also featured on a Swedish postage stamp from 1975 that was issued on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

The largest collection of Milles' sculptures outside of Millegården is in the Cranbrook Academy of Art , where over sixty of his works can be seen.

"Gud Fader på himmelsbågen / God the Father on the heavenly arch"

Fountain sculpture at the entrance to Stockholm harbor

One of the probably last sculptures by Carl Milles to be completed is his approx. 23 meter high work Gud Fader på himmelsbågen (God the Father on the Heavenly Arch) . Milles had the bronze sketch as early as 1946 under the name The Rainbow. Lord placing new stars on heaven and should be placed in front of the UN building in New York City .

The sculpture shows God the Lord standing on top of a water-spouting, parabolic arch about 18 meters high. The arch represents the vault of the sky and at its foot there is an angel who hands God the Father stars to place them in the firmament.

To Mille's great regret, however, nothing came of the commission, only his bronze sketch existed in Millesgården. It was not until 1995 that the sculpture was placed in the port of Nacka Strand at the entrance to Stockholm. The American sculptor Marshall M. Fredericks (1908–1998), who worked for Milles for many years, completed this work of art in the spirit of Carl Milles, forty years after his death.

literature

Essays

  • Paul Graßmann: Carl Milles. In: German art and decoration. Illustrated monthly booklets for modern painting, sculpture, architecture, home art and artistic work for women. Vol. 65 (1929/30), pp. 277f, ISSN  2195-6308 .
  • Werner Hoppenstedt: Carl Milles fountain creations. In: The art. Monthly books for free and applied arts , Vol. 61 (1930), pp. 23-27 and 53-58, ISSN  1435-747X
  • Walther Unus: Medals from Carl Milles. In: Berliner Münzblätter / NF , Vol. 50 (1930), Issue 329, pp. 331-332, ISSN  0932-2299 .

Monographs

  • Anders Bergström, Catharina Nolin: Millesgården, Arkitektur & trädgård . Atlantis, Stockholm 2004, ISBN 91-7486-799-7 .
  • Henrik Cornell: Carl Milles. Hans liv och hans vänner . Tiden-Barnägen, Stockholm 1968.
  • Elisabeth Lidén: Between water and heaven. Carl Milles . Almqvist & Wiksell, Stockholm 1986, ISBN 91-22-00815-2 .
  • Erik Näslund: Carl Milles. En biografi . Förlags AB, Wiken 1991, ISBN 91-7119-010-4 .
  • Eva Nodin: Tusen möjligheters rike. Aspecter på Carl Milles monumental sculpture . Atlantis, Stockholm 2005, ISBN 91-7353-024-7 .
  • Meyric R. Rogers: Carl Milles. An interpretation of his work . Kennikat Press, Port Washington 1973 (reprinted from New Haven 1940 edition).

photos

  • Poseideon statue , Gothenburg

  • Orfeus Group , Stockholm

  • God's hand , Stockholm

  • Folke Filbyter statue , Linkoping

  • Sjöguden , Stockholm

Web links

Commons : Carl Milles  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Members: Carl Milles. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed April 15, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Milles, Carl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Andersson, Carl Emil Wilhelm (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH June 23, 1875
PLACE OF BIRTH at Knivsta in Sweden
DATE OF DEATH September 19, 1955
Place of death on Lidingö near Stockholm