Anton Büschelberger(1869 Eger - 1934 Dresden), Group of bears on a tree
, c. 1925. Black-green patinated bronze with terrain plinth mounted on a green marble base (4 cm high). 46 cm (total height) x 54 cm (length) x 20 cm (depth), weight 22.7 kg. Signed “[Anton] Büschelberger” on the reverse and stamped “BILDGIESSEREI KRAAS BERLIN”.
- In excellent condition
- The nature of the bears -
Three bears of different sizes have climbed a tree. While the smaller ones balance on the thick branches, the largest bear, possibly the mother, stretches out her arm and begins to jump down. The head and front body are already bowed low, the legs are bent, and the hindquarters are raised. The almost awkward yet elegant movement of such a powerful animal is so realistically depicted that we are encouraged to perform the leap downward in our imagination. This gives the sculpture an almost dramatic sense of movement, especially in contrast to the calm posture of the other two bears.
The vivid effect of the group is also due to the "impressionistic" surface design. Precisely because neither the fur nor the bark are meticulously reproduced in their natural state, but are instead sculpturally modeled, the impression is one of fur that can be touched directly, while the tree has a structure that allows the eye to feel the texture of the bark. In addition, the sculptural modeling creates an optical vibrato that enlivens the entire bronze.
The group of bears can be considered Büschelberger's main work, which he created in several variations, with one, two, three and even four bears, the composition with three bears being the most balanced and at the same time the most exciting.
About the artist
Anton Büschelberger's father, Georg Friedrich Christian, was already a sculptor, and Anton's son Friedrich was to follow in his father's footsteps. After his education at the technical school for ceramics in Teplitz, Anton Büschelberger studied painting at the Munich Academy. From 1899 to 1900 he worked as a sculptor at the "Werkstätten für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe der Firma Schumacher & Co." in Osterode am Harz. In order to follow his own artistic path, he opened a studio in Dresden. From then on he devoted himself mainly to animal sculptures, for which he made extensive studies in the Dresden Zoo. He had his sought-after works cast in bronze, primarily by the renowned Berlin sculpture foundry Kraas. Büschelberger also supplied the porcelain manufactory of Friedrich Karl Ens in Rudolstadt-Volkstedt with popular designs.
