Wilhelm Lehmbruck - Mother and Child (1907) - Bronze

Eternal Intimacy in Bronze: Wilhelm Lehmbruck's Mother and Child (1907) - Signed

This evocative bronze sculpture titled Mother and Child (1907) signed by Wilhelm Lehmbruck is a poignant testament to the universal bond between mother and child, rendered in the timeless medium of bronze. Created during a period of great personal and artistic evolution for Wilhelm Lehmbruck, this piece offers insight into the sculptor's deeply humanist vision. At once grounded in realism and elevated by spiritual introspection, the work stands as an early marker of the psychological depth and formal elegance that would later define his oeuvre.

The Artist Behind the Emotion

Wilhelm Lehmbruck, born on 4 January 1881 in Meiderich/Beeck, Duisburg, was a leading figure of early 20th-century German sculpture. Educated at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Düsseldorf and later at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Lehmbruck developed a sculptural language that broke from academic conventions and anticipated the expressive austerity of modern art. His career, though tragically cut short by his death in Berlin on 25 March 1919, left behind an enduring legacy. Wilhelm Lehmbruck imbued his work with an emotional depth and inner pathos rarely seen in the sculpture of his time.

The Origins of a Masterpiece

The sculpture Mother and Child was created in 1907, likely during Lehmbruck's early years in Germany before his transformative move to Paris. This period was marked by a fascination with naturalism and early expressions of Symbolism. It reveals Wilhelm Lehmbruck's intense study of the human form, not only in terms of physical representation but as a vessel of profound emotional and spiritual resonance. The casting in bronze provides a permanence to this quiet moment of maternal affection, anchoring it in the material world while suggesting its eternal emotional truth.

Form, Balance, and Emotional Economy

The composition is centered on a seated nude mother who cradles her infant against her lap, her body curved protectively and tenderly around the child. Her posture is serene, her head gently inclined in a gesture of introspection and devotion. The infant rests securely in her arms, its body twisted slightly toward her chest in an act of dependence and trust. Wilhelm Lehmbruck avoids excessive detail in favor of smooth, volumetric modeling that accentuates the unity and warmth of the pair. The surface of the bronze is subtly textured, offering just enough detail to suggest living flesh while maintaining a sense of sculptural abstraction.

Modernism in Its Infancy

Although made in 1907, this work already hints at the modernist tendencies that would come to define Wilhelm Lehmbruck's later work. The emotional restraint, the elongated proportions, and the minimalist clarity all forecast the aesthetic maturity he would achieve by the 1910s. This sculpture lies at the intersection of tradition and modernity, where the influence of Auguste Rodin meets the nascent tendencies of Expressionism. It reflects how Wilhelm Lehmbruck was quietly, but profoundly, reshaping the sculptural canon.

A Universal Theme, Deeply Personal

What sets Mother and Child apart is not simply its technical execution but its universal emotional appeal. Through a quiet, intimate moment, Wilhelm Lehmbruck captures an archetypal human experience. The tenderness between the figures transcends time and geography, becoming a visual metaphor for love, vulnerability, and continuity. The piece communicates without grandiosity, whispering instead of shouting, and thereby drawing viewers into its contemplative emotional space.

Signature and Artistic Identity

The work is signed "W. Lehmbruck," affirming its authenticity and anchoring it within the artist's formative years. This signature not only identifies its creator but signals the early presence of a distinctive sculptural voice. To encounter the signature of Wilhelm Lehmbruck on such a work is to glimpse the genesis of a sculptor who would later become one of Germany's most revered modernist artists.

A Presence in the Lehmbruck Museum

Today, original works by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, including Mother and Child, are preserved and displayed at the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, the artist's birthplace. This institution is dedicated to his memory and legacy, housing an extensive collection of his sculptures, drawings, and prints. The museum allows modern audiences to engage directly with the humanism and inner poise that radiate from his creations. The sculpture is exhibited among a constellation of works that trace the evolution of Wilhelm Lehmbruck's deeply introspective and spiritual approach to the human form.

Legacy in Bronze

Mother and Child (1907) exemplifies Wilhelm Lehmbruck's lifelong pursuit of expressing the inner truth of the human spirit through the outer form of the body. In this sculpture, the artist achieves an extraordinary synthesis of naturalistic tenderness and modernist form. It remains not only a moving representation of maternal love but also a milestone in the career of one of the 20th century's most profound sculptural voices. Its continued presence in the Lehmbruck Museum ensures that its quiet message of empathy and connection remains part of our collective cultural memory.

Width: 34 cm
Height: 36 cm
Depth: 27 cm
Weight: 12 kg
100% Bronze