Slumped in silent contemplation, the Kauernde Statue embodies both vulnerability and strength. This bronze figure sits with her legs drawn up and feet crossed. The left arm wraps around the left leg. Her right shoulder turns forward. The Kauernde Statue’s right forearm rests against her right shin.
The Kauernde Statue you see before you is more than just a sculpture. It’s a story cast in bronze. This statue is a female nude in a complex pose. It invites us to reflect on the human condition.
Georg Kolbe created the Kauernde Statue. He was a celebrated artist. The statue’s creation is complex. The model for the bronze cast no longer exists. The bronze cast dates back to 1935. The statue was displayed at the Berlin Academy of Arts’ anniversary exhibition in 1936.
Interestingly, the “Große Kauernde” or Great Crouching Woman evolved from the “kleine Kauernde” or Small Crouching Woman of the same year. Kolbe significantly reworked the enlargement. Erich Cassirer, an art dealer, first exhibited Kolbe’s “Kleine Kauernde” in 1925. He titled it “Brunnenfigur” or Fountain Figure.
The statue formed part of a fountain. Hugo Simon, a banker and art collector, commissioned it from Kolbe. It was placed behind Simon’s villa in Tiergarten. Sadly, the villa and fountain were destroyed during World War II.
In 1979, the fountain was reconstructed. It was a gift. The Georg-Kolbe-Museum Foundation presented it to an old people’s home in Zehlendorf. It was in return for the “Tänzerinbrunnen” or Dancer Fountain.
The Kauernde Statue rests on a square base. The base is made of reddish sandstone slabs. These are stacked upon each other. The figure itself is bronze. The base is sandstone. These materials add to the statue’s presence.
Consider the journey of the Kauernde Statue. From its conception as a fountain figure to its current solitary existence. It embodies resilience. It reflects the passage of time. The Kauernde Statue invites us to contemplate the stories behind the art. The stories behind ourselves.