Georg Kolbe

Those sculptures created somewhat later display elements closer to Expressionism instead of the gently modelled forms. Following the interruption of this successful, early phase of his oeuvre by the First World War, Kolbe was granted the title of professor in 1918 and also became the chairman of the Freie Secession. In the 1920s his style changed once more. A particularly successful phase in his oeuvre now began, and the artist created numerous portraits and nudes in bronze. From 1927 onwards, following the tragic death of his wife, he created sculptures related to religious themes as well as monuments. With their powerful and muscular bodies, the works of the 1930s once more display a modification to his figural ideal. Georg Kolbe was among the most successful German sculptors of the first half of the 20th century.