About Portrait Bust - Franz Xaver Messerschmidt Strong Man (After 1770)
Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (German, 1736-1783) during his earlier career received commissions from important patrons like Maria Theresa of Austria and the princess of Savoy. after deciding to live secluded in Bratislava with his brother because of deteriorating mental health conditions, Messerschmidt dedicated the last six years of his life to working on his well-known 60 untitled character heads series, which includes this Messerschmidt Strong Man portrait bust. The tension of the muscles, clenched lips and expression of the character allows the viewer to clearly image the subject of the sculpture lifting a heavy object, without the need to represent the rest of the body engaging in the action. The attention to detail in this Messerschmidt Strong Man portrait bust, recalls the naturalism in the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and thus demonstrates the Messerschmidt's artistic influences and skillful ability to faithfully render subjects in sculpture.
Original: Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, A Strong Man, after 1770, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Tin-lead alloy, 17 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 9 in. (44.5 x 26.7 x 22.9 cm). Private Collection
Part of the Parastone Mouseion 3D Collection of highly collectible museum reproductions.
Messerschmidt was an eighteen-century German sculptor, mostly active in Austria. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1755.
During the German Enlightenment period, the artist started his career working for important patrons such as Maria Theresa of Austria and the princess of Savoy. After his mental health condition began to deteriorate, Messerschmidt decided to live with his brother, secluded in Bratislava. For the remaining six years of his life, he worked on his well-known 60 heads series of untitled character heads sculptures.
Scholars have compared Messerschmidt to the Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in his emphasis of rendering portrait busts with likeness and naturalism while attempting to capture the personality of the subject. However, unlike Bernini, the subject of his portrait busts was himself and therefore the significance of the 60-character portrait bust series changes, for it represents the attempt of Messerschmidt to capture the human moods, expressions or demons dwelling inside, common to all humans.
A contemporary wrote that Messerschmidt told him that by making the character heads, he hoped to ward away spirits that invaded his mind. Studies in physiognomy were highly popular at the time. Perhaps as influential was Messerschmidt's undiagnosed mental condition, which could have been schizophrenia.
Messerschmidt was an eighteen-century German sculptor, mostly active in Austria. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1755.
During the German Enlightenment period, the artist started his career working for important patrons such as Maria Theresa of Austria and the princess of Savoy. After his mental health condition began to deteriorate, Messerschmidt decided to live with his brother, secluded in Bratislava. For the remaining six years of his life, he worked on his well-known 60 heads series of untitled character heads sculptures.
Scholars have compared Messerschmidt to the Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in his emphasis of rendering portrait busts with likeness and naturalism while attempting to capture the personality of the subject. However, unlike Bernini, the subject of his portrait busts was himself and therefore the significance of the 60-character portrait bust series changes, for it represents the attempt of Messerschmidt to capture the human moods, expressions or demons dwelling inside, common to all humans.
A contemporary wrote that Messerschmidt told him that by making the character heads, he hoped to ward away spirits that invaded his mind. Studies in physiognomy were highly popular at the time. Perhaps as influential was Messerschmidt's undiagnosed mental condition, which could have been schizophrenia.
