Three hands. That’s what immediately strikes you about the Alte Frau im Sessel. The sculpture sits before you in Düsseldorf’s Spee’scher Park a bronze figure nestled in an armchair.
The Alte Frau im Sessel is more than just a statue. It’s a poignant portrait of artist Waldemar Otto’s mother. He created it in 1973. The city acquired the sculpture in 1980. They installed it in the park in 1981.
Notice the details. The old woman’s face has a slightly grumpy expression. Her feet are crossed. She holds her right arm with her left hand. She seems almost to merge with the cushions. But look closer. She has three hands.
Why three hands? Otto explained his mother’s hands were always in motion. She seemed to have more than two hands. This detail makes the Alte Frau im Sessel so unique and deeply personal. It captures a mother’s restless spirit.
The sculpture is made of bronze and rests on a basalt pedestal. It measures 115cm high 100cm wide and 135cm deep. The inscription reads “Waldemar Otto Alte Frau im Sessel 1981”.
The Alte Frau im Sessel isn’t alone. Nearby stands another mother figure Hannelore Köhler’s “Frau E”. Both sculptures explore themes of loneliness and isolation. This is part of Otto’s broader artistic exploration. He often depicted the vulnerability and fragmentation of the human condition in his torsi.
The Alte Frau im Sessel is more than a bronze figure in a park. It’s a touching tribute to a mother. It’s a contemplation of human existence. It’s a piece of art that invites you to look closer. To see beyond the surface. To feel the emotion in every detail. To understand the artist’s deep connection to his subject. To appreciate the quiet story it tells. Take a moment. Sit with the Alte Frau im Sessel. Let her story touch you.