Bizarre Bronze Bust - Head with narrowed Eyes - Messerschmidt

This bronze bust is a character head of the German-Austrian sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Messerschmidt studied the human physiognomy. He performed deveral self-studies with the mirror. The result is a series of 52 self-portraits designed as character heads, bringing the various emotions and affections in form of three-dimensional alabaster busts. The bust on the left shows a male head with narrowed eyes and exaggerated wrinkles. The sculpture bears the artist’s signature "X. Messerschmidt".

Bronze Statues UK - Contemporary Sculpture - Abstract Art for Sale

As all of the bronze products in our shop, this exhibit is hand-cast in our own foundry and subject to our strict quality inspections throughout the entire process of fabrication. All of our sculptures are exclusively compounded with the help of lost-wax casting.

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736-1783) was German-Austrian painter and sculptor most known for his series of canonical grimaces sculptures. Messerschmidt’s character heads were inspired by the mysterious condition that forced the artist to leave the Vienna Academy of Arts. The undiagnosed digestive illness that caused Messerschmidt so much pain is today believed to have been Crohn’s disease. At one point, he came up with a series of pinches he would apply to his right lower rib in order to take his mind off the pain. Looking in the mirror while he was applying his pinches, and seeing his facial expressions, Messerschmidt decided to immortalize his pain in a series of sculptures. Thus, in 1781 Franz Xaver Messerschmidt started working on his famous character heads, using himself as a model.

Height: 38 cm
Width: 20 cm
Depth: 20 cm
Weight: 7.3 kg
100% bronze