Joseph Enseling was a pupil of great teachers and the teacher of great disciples.

The sculptor studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule Duesseldorf. No less important are his disciples, like Joseph Beuys, in turn, stands out as a newcomer to the arts.

Enseling's education and his more than forty years of teaching at the Folkwangschule Essen and the Duesseldorf Art Academy made him a great mediator between modern and contemporary art, bringing him to the fore in the plastic art of the 20th century. The artist, who died in 1957 created a significant amount of his own works. Mostly he did it o for private clients, in the (industrial) architectural context or for a monument.

His human figures are particularly expressive. They make an impression as belonging to the present day because they should not present the academic study, but to show the modern man as active, dealing with his world-facing show. Many of his works were installed in industrial areas along the Rhine and Ruhr. Enseling's insistence on contemporary reality is also clearly evident in his "Madonna" from 1920.

Designation for an art object (sculpture, installation), which is produced according to the will of the artist in multiple copies in a limited and numbered edition.

Artist's multiple contributed to "democratization" of art as the work was made available and affordable for a wider audience.

An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times.

Bronze casting:

When casting bronze, artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. It's the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.

Sculpture "The Book Reader" by Ernst Barlachs is shown here as an example:

First, the artist forms a model of his sculpture. It is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber composition. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out. The liquid wax is poured in the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax casting is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, and the wax flows out (lost mould).

Now we finally have the negative form, into which the 1400 ° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken off and the sculpture comes to light.

Now the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist himself or, to his specifications, by a specialist. Thus, each casting becomes an original work

For lower-grade bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used which, however, does not achieve the results of more complex lost wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.

Related links:
Sand casting