Kai Nielsen

KAI NIELSEN (Denmark, 1882-1924).
"Metamorphic nymph with mirror.".
Bronze.
Numbered copy (V).
Signed "K. Nielsen" and with foundry stamp L. Rasmussen, København.
In good general condition according to the age.
Measurements: 20,5 x 10 x 11,5 cm.

This refined sculpture represents a hybrid figure of mythological character, close to the universe of fauns and nymphs of classical tradition, captured in a dynamic and sinuous pose while holding a mirror. The presence of the hooves introduces a fantastic and Dionysian dimension that transforms the scene into an evocation of the ancient world, where sensuality, play and imagination intertwine. The composition, of smooth and continuous volumes, responds to Nielsen's preference for rounded and organic forms, conceived to be appreciated from all angles.

Kai Nielsen established himself with works such as Nøgen ("Naked") and achieved notoriety with Faaborg's Ymerbrønden, which aroused scandal for its frank representation of the body. This interest in sensuality, mythology and formal freedom also appears in compositions such as Leda med svanen and Leda uden svanen, as well as in his statuettes for Bing & Grøndahl and Kähler. In this context, the present work fully participates in his most personal imaginary, where the classical is reinterpreted with a mixture of grace, irony and modernity.

Founded by L. Rasmussen, one of Copenhagen's leading houses, the piece brings together several of the sculptor's most recognizable qualities: formal synthesis, plastic vitality and a suggestive ambiguity between the human and the mythological.