Reinhold Felderhoff

Diana, in the Colonnade Park of Museum Island

Reinhold Carl Thusmann Felderhoff (25 February 1865, Elbląg - 18 December 1919, Berlin) was a German sculptor.

Life

He entered the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1880 and studied there under Fritz Schaper until 1884, after which he became a Master Student in the studio of Reinhold Begas. In 1885, he spent a year in Rome on a scholarship, then returned for more work with Begas, remaining there through 1888, although he was doing free-lance work as early as 1887 and won a government contract to sculpt busts of famous generals for the Berlin Armory (Zeughaus, now the German Historical Museum). 1890 and 1891 brought another stay in Rome. He then helped his mentor, Begas, to complete the National Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, for which he received a medal in 1897.

Close-up of Johann II, showing damage sustained during World War II

He joined the Berlin Secession and became a member of the Academy in 1913. He was named a Professor there in 1917.

Work

His model of Albert the Bear drew praise in 1893, when it was entered in a competition to provide figures for the Fisherman's Bridge. Although the contract went to Johannes Boese, it enabled Felderhoff to negotiate a commission for a statue and busts in the Siegesallee project and was used as the basis for the central figure; Johann II, Margrave of Brandenburg (Group 6). He was the only Siegesallee sculptor to work in an austere modern style, rather than the favored historical style. (Some changes were made when Kaiser Wilhelm reviewed the sketches, but their nature is unknown). This caused his work to be criticized as "mediocre".[1]

One of his best-known works is the statue of Diana, which was displayed at the Exposition Universelle (1900). It has been reproduced and recast many times.

Other selected major projects

Berlin

Stralauer Fischer (1916)

Other cities

References

  1. Uta Lehnert: Der Kaiser und die Siegesallee. Réclame Royale. Reimer, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-496-01189-0

Further reading

External links

Media related to Reinhold Felderhoff at Wikimedia Commons