Rudolf Maison

RUDOLPH MAISON (Regensburg, 1854 – Munich, 1904).
"Nymph and Centaur."
Plaster with bronze patina.
Signed.
Measurements: 77 x 32 x 30 cm.
It has some damage.

The work depicts a full-length nymph, modeled in a sinuous contrapposto pose, delicately embracing a figure or bust on a pillar representing a bearded satyr, Silenus, or centaur crowned with ivy or grapevines. The diagonal line of the arms and the tilt of the nymph’s head lend the piece great fluidity and dynamism.
Rudolf Maison was one of the most unique and innovative sculptors in the German-speaking world of the late 19th century. Straddling the line between academic realism, historicism, and the emerging dynamism of the fin de siècle, his work stands out for its remarkable technical and compositional freedom. He established his studio in Munich around 1879, becoming a leading figure in the Munich art scene and actively participating in the exhibitions at the Glaspalast.
He received major public and official commissions, including monuments for the city of Berlin (such as the equestrian statue of Emperor Frederick III at the Brandenburg Gate) and decorative works for government buildings.