Wilhelm von Winterfeld (artist)

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Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm von Winterfeld (born July 24, 1898 in Berlin , † December 18, 1997 in Dortmund ) was a German sculptor and painter .

Frolicking bear cubs , 1929

biography

Wilhelm von Winterfeld was born into the Prussian noble family von Winterfeld . First of all, he had to follow the military training path from school to cadet school. In 1914, at the beginning of the First World War , Wilhelm entered the service of the Prussian army and in the following year became an officer in an artillery unit . Later he entered an aviation school and after obtaining his flight license he went to war. He was shot down and wounded on a long-distance flight in 1918 and became a prisoner of war . Wilhelm von Winterfeld's interest in art and technology , which he had already shown at home, developed more strongly in the prison camp . A Swiss commission made sure that he received material for modeling and a small studio in the camp.

When he was released from captivity in 1920, he immediately began studying architecture at the Munich Technical University , which he completed in 1923 as a graduate engineer . During his studies Winterfeld had contact with Georg Kolbe , who encouraged him to deepen his sculptural skills. After completing his studies, he went on a study trip to Italy , which lasted a total of two years instead of the originally planned four months. He learned to work marble with stonemasons in Florence , in Rome and Naples Winterfeld acquired skills in bronze casting . After Italy, his growing artistic interest led him to Greece , especially to Crete . When he finally returned to Germany in 1925, Winterfeld turned completely to sculpture. He also traveled to the largest countries that were important for art and culture at the time, including England , Holland (1926), Paris (1927), Denmark , Norway , Sweden , Spain , Morocco and finally even Russia (1928). In the meantime he had become known for his works and received increasingly important commissions. So he finally stayed in Berlin from 1929 and did mainly portrait work.

In 1934 Wilhelm von Winterfeld married Gisela von Gustedt.

acceptance

Winterfeld had led a busy life for fifteen years since 1914, and it was above all the war experiences that shaped his portrayals. He was not looking for his own style, but was inspired by his thoughts and experiences. The execution of the works, for which he preferred stone and bronze, was perfect. The portraits were soon followed by generalized representations, animal and group sculptures.

Georg Grabenhorst , who had written a description of the future of Wilhelm von Winterfeld, finally gave the following flowery assessment in 1929:

“What we already find exhilarating and worth our love and recognition is the strong and healthy immediacy of his art, that is the rare combination of a high level of mental expression and thorough technical ability, that is the natural, uneducated, sensual abundance and musicality of the Work, its conscious life-loving life and culture. "

Works (selection)

mother with child
Arguing boys
Playing kids
  • before 1929: female bust , bronze
  • before 1929: Bruno Walter , conducting , bronze bust
  • 1929: Arguing or scuffling boys , bronze, two life-size naked boys, who stand with the plinth on a brick wall of a well basin and encourage the children from the neighborhood to join in; Siemensstadt garden settlement in the Spandau district
  • 1929: Frolicking bear cubs (see introductory picture ), bronze, in the Siemensstadt garden settlement
  • 1929: Playing kids , bronze; also Siemensstadt
  • 1930: Mother and child , sandstone, stands on a high-walled pedestal made of natural stone in a green area, also Siemensstadt
  • Unknown year: memorial plaque with relief image for Günther von Örtzen, on a boulder at Gut Dorow (lost)

literature

Web links

Commons : Wilhelm von Winterfeld  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Frank Buchholz, Horst Schuh: The First World War in the air , on www.militaer-wissen.de; accessed on October 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Heidelberg historical holdings: Wilhelm von Winterfeld , accessed on October 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ a b Hidden Paradises at www.berlin-industriekultur; accessed on October 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Sculptures 09 - without a visa through Spandau , Part 2 , accessed on October 3, 2018.
  5. ↑ Illustration of the foundling for Günther von Örtzen with the metal plaque created by Wilhelm von Winterfeld. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
personal data
SURNAME Winterfeld, Wilhelm von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Winterfeld, Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sculptor and painter
DATE OF BIRTH July 24, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH December 18, 1997
Place of death Dortmund