Lot 196 Dα

The Igel column became well-known when it was described in the works of Goethe following two visits, the first on 26th August and the second on 22nd - 23rd October 1792. In the 19th century, the eagle at its tip was in the same fragmentary condition as it is today, and was barely recognisable as a bird. The headless silhouette of the model is depicted in contemporary prints and is reconstructed accurately in this cast iron piece from 1828. Christian Daniel Rauch gave Heinrich Zumpft the idea for this reproduction. The wax model was displayed at the Academy Exhibition in 1830, and Zumpft was described as an “academic artist”. Goethe himself was one of the first to purchase this cast iron model.