THE OLYMPIC TRADITION IN ANTIQUE SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS AT JENNMAUR GALLERY  
 

The art work featured in this section is now featured in our San Francisco gallery and is available for sale

(Other sporting sculptures are viewable in our sports section) http://www.jennmaur.com/scsubjectindex/sporting/sporting1.htm

MARATHON

 
 


   
Jan Vitezslav Dusek (Czech 1891-1966) 'Sokol Athlete" Historically important bronze sculpture.  Signed, dated 1924, and with the city of Tabor inscribed, also bearing the foundry marks for Franta Anyz. This sculpture commemorates the Sokol athletic meeting of 1924 in the city of Tabor, Dusek's home town and where he built his studio in 1922.  Sokol is the Czech word for Falcon, inspiring the present bronze --showing an athlete about to soar from the top step of a podium. Dusek, the city of Tabor's  favored sculptor, created this sculpture for the event. Sokol was founded in 1862 and played an important part in the development of Czech Nationalism by providing a forum for the spread of mass-based nationalist ideologies. The Sokol movement consciously traced its roots in physical education to the athletes and warriors of ancient Greece. In 1926 this sculpture was exhibited at the XV. Esposizione Internationale d'Arte della Città di Venezia , exhibit  number 1077.
Dimensions: Total height 41inches  by 32 inches in width
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Max Kruse (German, 1854 -1942) "Olympic Marathon Runner" unsigned, Gladenbeck Foundry Seal, bronze
Dimensions: 21 inches high, by 16 inches wide
   
   
DISCUS
   
 
19th Century sculpture after the antique by Myron of Eleutherae (Greek 440-480 BC.The sculpture is known as  "The Discobolus of Myron". Myron was born in Eleutherae, a small town on the border between Attica and Bocotia, and lived most of his life in Athens. The 1st-century writer Pliny cites Myron as the first to achieve life like representation in art, but it would be more accurate to say that he was the first Greek sculptor to combine a mastery of movement with a gift for harmonious composition. Circa 1890 large and impressive  Italian bronze cast on a monumental circular rouge marble base. Superb hand chasing and finishing to the sculpture, quite possibly cast by either Nelli or Chiaruzzi.
Dimensions: Total height 28 &1//2 inches.
   

R.Grossauer (Austrian 1920's)" Discus launcher" Bronze sculpture signed and dated 1923
Dimensions: Total height 18&1/2 inches, height of marble base alone 4 inches
 
 
   
   

   


  BOXING
   
   
KM51
Gyula Meresz Muller (Hungarian 1888-1949)"Olympic Boxer " Depicting the gold medal winner of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games, men's flyweight boxing event, winner Istvan Enekes of Hungary, Oil on canvas
Dimensions: Image h=33&1/2 in, w=25&1/2 in, frame w=4 in
    
     
   
 
Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl (Hungarian, 1884 -1975) "The Boxer" bronze signed and dated 1926 with foundry dedication, on marble base
Dimensions: total height 15 inches, height of base alone 3&3/4 inches
 
   
     
   

Franz Siefert (Austrian 1866-1951) “The Counter Punch” Bronze sculpture on marble base, 1921
Dimensions. Height 16&3/4 inches.
   
     
     
   
 
P.Knotz (Austrian early 20th century)  A Circa 1917 bronze female boxer, quite possible a circus or carnival performer. Signed by P.Knotz and inscribed Made in Austria.
Dimensions:13 inches in height by 7 inches in width
 
   
   

 

  SHOTPUT  
Marcel Bouraine (French1886-1948), "Shot-putter " signed bronze, .foundry seal for Auguste Gouge, Paris, Cire Perdu
Dimensions: 32 inches high by 24 inches long by 17 & 3/4 inches wide
   
     
   
 
Josef Remenyi (Hungarian 1887-1977) “Shotputter” .A circa 1925 signed bronze sculpture of an idealized Grecian Olympiad.
Dimensions: Total height 12&3/4 inches. Height of marble alone 3&1/2 inches.

 


     
 
   
Josef Bilek (Czech 1896-?) "Shotputter"Signed bronze, circa 1930
Dimensions: Total height 16 inches, height of marble base alone 1&1/2 inches
 
     
   
SOCCER
 
 
 
C. Brehmer ( Austrian circa 1910) Bronze football player about to make contact  with the ball. Superb quality cast with  polychrome in dark brown /green and copper tones. There is also a small foundry mark of a circle emblem with the letter B - (not the Bergman mark ).The figure surmounts an onyx column that has an unmarked plaque in a shield shape with two square designs of oak leaves.
Dimensions: Total height 8&1/2 inches. Bronze alone 5 &1/2 inches
  

 
 
   
   
Adolf Wagner (German, 1884-1962) " Goal-Keeper", signed, bronze Dimensions: 17 & 1/2 inches high
 
     
   

FENCING
Antonin Stejskal (Czech 1907-1983)  "Contemplative Fencer", signed bronze
Dimensions : Total height 20&3/4 inches
 
     
   

 
HUGO LEDERER
German, 1871 -1940
Hugo Lederer, was a Moravian born German sculptor. He studied in Dresden under sculptor John Schilling from 1890, then studied briefly under Christian Behrens. His greatest public success came in 1902 with the commission for the Bismark Tower. Stylistically this work is more in keeping with an early WPA style of muscular distortion.  In a brief study of his work  it is obvious that this Jewish sculptor had more than one style and the present bronze in our inventory has a lyrical quality similar to his personal works rather than his Nationalist ones that he possibly accomplished under sufferance. Even the Nationalist sculptures by Lederer are far more expressionist.than those of his greatest student (Josef Thorak 1889- 1952) --who became famous for sculptures in the Nationalist theme in Germany of the 1930's. Hugo Lederer's bronze sculpture of Christian Johann Heinrich Heine the German poet was removed in 1933 and destroyed by the Nazi's as was his sculpture of Friedrich Karl von Savigny. He never returned to his home after the war and his works were scattered and are difficult to find in general. Lederer's studio was ransacked by the Czech's in 1945 and burnt to the ground five years after his death.
           
 
 
 
     
   
 
 
 
Hugo Lederer ( German, 1871-1940) "Der Fechterbrunnen". The Swordsman by Hugo Lederer is the iconic male sculpture that exists at the Breslau University cast in 1901.  It is said the sculpture was a warning to the students not to gamble as one could be left naked with only one's sword.  The bronze was originally cast in two sizes by The Martin & Piltzing Foundry of Berlin in 1901.  The present model being the smaller of the two Piltzing casts and the larger being used as fountain model in Breslau while the present as a garden sculpture is numbered 5,  with a warm dark green and brown patina. Two later castings were under taken by Gladenbeck foundry in the 1930's but these sizes measured only 15 and 22 inches high and are table top models that have non of the subtlety and softness of the Piltzing originals. The present sculpture is signed HUGO LEDERER and numbered 5 with the inscription symbol for Martin & Piltzing Foundry of Berlin.
Dimensions:Total height 39 inches. Height of bronze alone 36 inches by 12&1/2 inches in depth by 13 inches in width.
Belgian marble base height 3 inches by 10 inches in depth by 8 inches in width
   
   

   
Heinz Muller ( German , born 1872) "The Fencer", signed, bronze
Dimensions: 21&1/2in high
  
 
   

V.Lexa  (Czech circa 1930) Bronze sculpture of an erotic female dominatrix  fencer in a tight dress exposing her breast. Acid patina with cold painted dress
Dimensions: Total height 17 inches.
  

   
 
   

ARCHERY
 
R.Rotter (Czech early 20th century) Carved wood sports sculpture of a female archer circa 1935.
Dimensions: Total height 25 inches by 22 inches in length
   
       
   

 
TENNIS
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
 

Czech School 1930's. A carved fruit-wood unsigned sculpture of a female tennis player about to play a backhand shot.
Dimensions: Total height 20 &1/2 inches