Rudolf Wening

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Rudolf Wening (born February 4, 1893 in Landquart ; † July 23, 1970 in Zurich ) was a Swiss sculptor , painter , draftsman and court sculptor to the King of Siam .

biography

Rudolf Wening was the son of an engineer at the Haldengut brewery and grew up with two sisters and a brother in Winterthur. After primary and secondary school he attended the canton school in Pruntrut and from 1908 to 1911 the art department of the Winterthur technical center. From 1911 to 1913 he was a student of Richard Kissling . He then studied from 1913 to 1914 at the Art Academy in Florence . Rudolf Wening was a founding member of the Winterthur artist group , founded in 1916 , to which he belonged until 1945.

During his active service in Switzerland he drew comrades, superiors and well-known personalities in his free time; whereby his chalk drawings were very well received.

In 1919 Rudolf Wening traveled to Sumatra to see his brother, who was the manager of a rubber plantation . From 1922 to 1923 he stayed in Singapore . During this time he studied the various ethnic groups and made impressive portraits as well as animal studies, which are still owned by the family today. When he returned to Sumatra, Rudolf Wening took part in a royal family competition, in which the contacts were made, which subsequently led to a position as court sculptor with King Vajiravudh and later with Prince Damrong . He held this position until 1929. Rudolf Wening created numerous busts of the royal family from marble, bronze and silver, which included many women, concubines, princesses and princes, and portrayed countless members of the royal family. Some of his sculptures, mosaics and frescoes are owned by the Bangkok National Museum .

With royal support, Rudolf Wening undertook extensive study trips into the interior of the country, in parts of the primeval forest areas that were still little explored, and made human and animal studies, which he incorporated into his paintings and sculptures.

Memorial for Mittelholzer in Kloten
Memorial to Walter Mittelholzer , Kloten

His extensive knowledge of Southeast Asia and many years of familiarity with the animal world shaped Rudolf Wening's work. After his return to Switzerland he was able to take over the studio from his former teacher Richard Kissling in Zurich's Seefeld. In the following years he created numerous animal sculptures, sculptures, drawings, paintings, tombs and busts of adults and children.

In 1933 he married Ursula Schmid, who grew up in Zurich-Wollishofen. They became parents of four children and in 1938 they bought property on the Zürichberg next to the Zürich Zoo . Rudolf Wening set up his two studios right next to the house.

With his wife he made numerous research trips to Thailand , Sri Lanka , India , Borneo and Africa .

As an animal lover, Rudolf Wening was associated with Zurich Zoo all his life. From 1930 to 1958 he was a member of the zoo board and in 1929 he was the initiator for the purchase of the elephant Mandjullah and her bull calf Chang . The animals were purchased from John Hagenbeck's pet shop shortly before the zoological garden opened .

Michael Rudolf Wening (1893–1970) grave sculpture, Friedhof am Hörnli, Basel
Grave sculpture, Hörnli cemetery

Rudolf Wening's best-known works include the zebra group in the Zurich bakery , the monument to the aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer in Kloten , and the Sumatran tiger on the fountain at the main entrance to the Zurich zoo. Many of his works decorate Swiss school buildings and parks or are in the form of grave monuments and the like. a. can be seen at the Enzenbühl cemetery and Fluntern cemetery in Zurich and the Basel cemetery at Hörnli .

His commitment and membership in the board of directors of Zurich Zoo enabled Rudolf Wening to participate in important projects such as buildings and the expansion of the animal population from the early years of the zoological garden. From 1957 he was a member of the board of directors of the Museum Rietberg- Gesellschaft and worked as an expert on Asian art.

In addition to his work as a sculptor, Rudolf Wening also worked as a respected photographer, book author, draftsman and illustrator of children's books by Olga Meyer , designer of posters for Zurich Zoo, and a speaker in the Siam and Ankor department . Rudolf Wening was friends with Walter Bosshard and worked with Michael Wolgensinger on his book Wunderland Siam .

In addition to public and private art objects, Rudolf Wening's estate also includes a large number of original models.

Exhibitions

Works (selection)

  • 1935: Sumatran tiger, fountain sculpture, Zurich Zoo
  • 1935. Fawn, Lindberg schoolhouse, Winterthur
  • 1942: Adler, Walter Mittelholzer Memorial, Kloten
  • 1942: Drei-Bärenbrunnen, Fluntern school building
  • 1942: Zebra group, bakery, Zurich
  • 1950: Gemskitz, Guggenbühl school building, Winterthur
  • 1956: Dolphin fountain, Delphinplatz Winterthur
  • 1957: Heron, Seepark Romanshorn

Publications (selection)

  • My Tiger. Atlantis Publishing House, 1929
  • Olga Meyer: In the Weiherhaus , with illustrations by Rudolf Wening, 1930
  • with Michael Wolgensinger: Wonderland Siam. Silva Verlag, Zurich 1959
  • Angkor, the forgotten temple city in the jungle. Silva Verlag, Zurich 1965
  • Olga Meyer: At home alone , story based on the Wening family in 1972

literature

  • Othmar Röthlin, Kurt Müller: Chronicle of the Zurich Zoo. NZZ, Zurich 2000, ISBN 3-85823-754-X .

Web links

Commons : Rudolf Wening  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Matter: Chalk drawing, portrait of General Wille. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .
  2. 100 Years of Swiss Art :: 1935, Brunnen, Zurich Zoo. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .
  3. Zurich Zoo: 1929, Mandjullah and Chang. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  4. ^ Photo of the inauguration of the Zebra Group in the bakery. In: Die Berner Woche , vol. 33, issue 12, 1943, p. 323
  5. Rudolf Wening: Wonderland Siam, information about Siam. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .
  6. ^ Edition Winterthur: Rehkitz, 1935. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .
  7. Edition Winterthur: Gemskitz, 1950. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .
  8. ^ Edition Winterthur: Delphin, 1956. Retrieved September 14, 2019 .