Kleist Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 13 (1924) Winner
Ernst Heinrich Barlach
エルンスト・ハインリヒ・バルラッハ
Ernst Heinrich Barlach
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1870-01-02 （Wedel, Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia）
- Died
- 1938-10-24 （Rostock, Mecklenburg, Germany） age 68
- Nationality
- German
- Languages
- German
- Religion
- Lutheran (Protestant)
- Residence History
- Wedel (birthplace) → Schönberg (childhood) → Ratzeburg (schooling) → Hamburg (study/work) → Dresden (art academy) → Paris (short study periods) → Güstrow (residence and later life) → Rostock (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- sculptor, medallist, printmaker, playwright, writer, illustrator
- Active Years
- 1890-1938
- Affiliations
- Prussian Academy of Arts (member), Munich Academy of Fine Arts (member)
- Memberships
- Prussian Academy of Arts, Munich Academy of Fine Arts
- Influenced By
- Robert Diez (teacher), Russian folk and popular art (influence from 1906 trip), Early Gothic art (influence on drapery and figure simplification)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gewerbeschule (trade school), Hamburg | — | Arts (sculpture etc.) | — | 1888–1891 | Germany |
| Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste, Dresden (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) | — | Sculpture (student of Robert Diez) | — | 1891–1895 | Germany |
| Académie Julian, Paris | — | Fine arts (short-term study) | — | 1895–1897（断続的） | France |
Gewerbeschule (trade school), Hamburg
Arts (sculpture etc.)
Period:
1888–1891
Year of Graduation:
1891
Country:
Germany
Initial artistic training at a technical/trade school
Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste, Dresden (Royal Academy of Fine Arts)
Sculpture (student of Robert Diez)
Period:
1891–1895
Year of Graduation:
1895
Country:
Germany
Studied under Robert Diez
Académie Julian, Paris
Fine arts (short-term study)
Period:
1895–1897（断続的）
Year of Graduation:
1897
Country:
France
Studied in France but remained critical of German tendency to imitate French styles
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Kleist Prize (drama) | Die Sintflut (The Flood) | — | Kleist Prize committee | 受賞 |
Kleist Prize (drama)
1924
Work:
Die Sintflut (The Flood)
Organization:
Kleist Prize committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Die Krautpflückerin (The Herb Plucker)
1894 sculptureOne of Barlach's early major sculptures depicting a woman engaged in everyday labor.
everyday lifehuman expression
Der Rächer (The Avenger)
1914 sculptureA bronze sculpture from around World War I; part of the body of work reflecting his changing attitude toward war.
warangerspiritual conflict
Der Geistkämpfer (The Fighter of the Spirit)
1928 sculpture (memorial)A memorial sculpture expressing humanistic ideals after World War I; targeted and damaged by Nazis but later restored and reinstalled.
humanismanti-warreligious symbolism
Adaptations
- [replica (museum collection)] The Fighter of the Spirit (replica) (1959)
Der schwebende Engel / Güstrower Ehrenmal (The Floating Angel / Güstrow Cenotaph)
1927 sculpture (memorial)A well-known wooden sculpture hung in Güstrow Cathedral, noted for its religious and anti-war expression.
faithmourningpeace
Die Sintflut (The Flood)
1924 play (drama)A play reinterpreting the story of Noah's Ark from a mystical perspective; awarded the Kleist Prize in 1924.
religious mysticismrenewalethics
Bibliography
- Die Krautpflückerin (1894)
- Der Rächer (1914)
- Der tote Tag (play, 1917)
- Der arme Vetter (The Poor Cousin) (play, 1919)
- Ein selbsterzähltes Leben (autobiography, 1928)
- Die Sintflut (The Flood) (play, 1924)
Adaptations
- Replicas and museum displays of Der Geistkämpfer
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- style between Expressionism and Realismreligious and mystical narrative toneconcise and symbolic imagery
- Recurring Motifs
- emphasis on hands and facesfigures swathed in heavy draperywar and mourningreligious symbolism
Health
-
heart ailment / heart disease1915–1916（徴兵後短期間の服役中に発症し除隊）Discharged from military service due to a heart condition; affected his later life and creative activity and ultimately led to his death from heart failure in 1938.
Legacy
Ernst Barlach was a major German sculptor, playwright and printmaker of the early 20th century, known for his anti-war sculptures and religious/mystical themes. Many of his works were confiscated as 'degenerate art' under the Nazis but were re-evaluated and restored after the war.
Museums
- Ernst Barlach House (Hamburg) Hamburg, Germany
- Minneapolis Institute of Art (holds a cast/replica of The Fighter of the Spirit) Minneapolis, USA
- Museum Wiesbaden (holds 'The Death') Wiesbaden, Germany
Academic Societies
- Ernst Barlach Society
Archives
- Ernst Barlach Archive (Hamburg)
- 20th Century Press Archives (related materials)
Quotes
-
His participation in the war changed him, and his subsequent works centered on anti-war themes.
Source: Summary from Wikipedia article 'Ernst Barlach' (2021)
Trivia
- Many of his works were confiscated as 'degenerate art' by the Nazi regime.
- In 2012, his carved wood sculpture 'Weinende Frau' sold at Christie's for $938,500, setting a record price for his work at auction.
- 'Der Geistkämpfer' was sawn apart by the Nazis but later repaired and reinstalled after World War II.