The Bookseller Sculpture

Description
Michael Schwarze's figures, whether cut from fruit wood or cast in smoothly polished bronze, are realistically reminiscent of classical, ancient sculpture, whose predominant interest is the human nude. However, the nude is alienated in Schwarze's sculptures and seems to have undergone strange transformations. A large proportion of his figures show similar physiognomic characteristics to that of the "Bookseller": the legs, buttocks and torso of a male figure merge seamlessly into an oversized right hand. The development of the form is reminiscent of models from Mannerist art as well as examples of images from Surrealism. In terms of content, the right hand designates the person acting, the action personifies the figure, or develops the theme of the depiction. In the case of the "Bookseller" sculpture, the books as attributes indicate the significance of the figure. They are the exclusive counterparts of the figure and apparently its only purpose. The "bookseller" seems to be inspired by a strange mania in his purpose and his drives.Source: emuseum.duesseldorf.de/view/objects/asitem/items$0040:140002