Lot 1371 Dα

Adolf Von Hildebrand

The Courtship

Terracotta relief. Adolf von Hildebrand is considered to be one of the most important German sculptors of the 19th century. Like Hans von Marées, Anselm Feuerbach, and Arnold Böcklin, he too derived inspiration from the art of ancient and contemporary Italy. In Florence, where he spent the first half of his career developing his artistic style, he purchased the former abbey of San Francesco di Paola. A marble version of “The Courtship” (100 x 80 cm), thought to have been made around 1886, is built into the wall there. The composition shows a nude young couple, the youth places his hand lightly on the young woman’s arm and looks into her eyes as if to read her expression. This terracotta relief, monogrammed “AH” to the lower right, is based on sketches made some years prior to it, and forms a direct prototype to the final version in marble. The piece varies from the marble in some details, but matches it in artistic and expressive quality.
In overall good condition. A hairline crack half way up the right edge, wear to the lower margin. Eight small surface chips, smoothed and retouched. A concrete repair to the reverse in the upper left. 97 x 72 x 12 cm.