Julius Schmidt-Feller Bronze Sculpture of Blacksmith from early 1900s
Here we have a bronze sculpture of a Blacksmith working in his shop by German artist Julius Schmidt-Felling. The art sculpture was likely made in the early 1900s, and has everything going for it, and then some. The pictures of the Blacksmith do more justice in terms of the gritty scene and incredible detail. The axle is the big cherry on top. But don't forget the axle drawing on his design sheet in his hand. The worn hat, the mechanics apron, the huge wrench...it just keeps going.
The bronze sculpture came out of a high end art collection in Edina, Minnesota. The antique bronze has three detachable pieces: 1) The gent and bronze base, 2) the axle he's standing over, and 3) the marble base. When you unscrew the bottom cap (see pic), two screws go into his feet, and one screw goes into the base end of the axle.
This industrial sculpture has got it everything you want for your bronze art collection or urban industrial decor. Detail, subject matter, age, patina, craftsmanship, and above everything else, a great look.....and an axle. Fine art that will fit in any setting. He will inspire you to work with your hands again.
Here's more about the artist courtesy of Wikipedia: ----------------- Julius Paul Schmidt-Felling (1835–1920) was a German sculptor who worked during the mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century. The subject matter of his work was wide and varied. He produced, among others, bronze statues of heroic warriors, athletes, blacksmiths, and farmers. A number of his sculptures of young children were in the Dutch colonial style, some being whimsical in nature.
His oeuvre included a wide array of sculptures, ranging in subject matter that included heroic warriors (often mounted on horseback), athletes, blacksmiths, and farmers.[4] He sculpted a number of pieces featuring young children in primarily the Dutch colonial style. His output included some animal sculpture, too, but in lesser volume compared to other subjects. Some of his better known sculptures are small whimsical models of young boys smoking cigarettes and pipes. Schmidt-Felling was a very versatile sculptor.
The majority of Schmidt-Felling's work was cast in bronze and most pieces can be classified as being within the realism or art nouveau genres. Late in his career, however—during the art deco era—he produced a number of chryselephantine sculptures whereby both ivory and bronze were used together in the casting and construction process.
Fellow German sculptors Ferdinand Preiss and Franz Iffland were also successful with this mix of production materials during their careers. Usually, the face and hands of a statue would be carved from ivory while the remainder of the sculpture would be cast in bronze. A large number of Schmidt-Felling’s bronzes, many cast at the NBW foundry in Berlin, feature partial and full nudity. Schmidt-Felling also employed the Aktien-Gesellschaft Gladenbeck foundry for many of his bronze castings. ------------------
The art sculpture stands 10 1/4" with the marble base. The bronze base and figure stand about 8 1/2". The diameter of the marks base is 5". There is amazing bronze patina everywhere. Crevice dust remains as well. I wouldn't do much in terms of cleaning with this one. There is evidence of shifting between the bronze base and marble base. The axle tends to loosen and shift when moving. It's easy to tighten the screws under the base. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship to the continental USA only. Free shipping on the bronze. I'll ship the sculpture with the three pieces separated and bubble wrapped within the same box. If you prefer another packaging method, just let me know.
Is it really a stunner that I picked this one up? Take a look around the shop. I have worn hats, a giant railroad wrench, blueprints. and industrial coming out of my ears. This is an inspiring piece of industrial art from the turn of the century. I'll pick them up every time, especially if they look like this.
