Den tyske maler og billedhugger Johann Martin von Wagner 1825 - 1826

This is a plaster bust, just under 60cm high, portraying the German painter and sculptor Johann Martin von Wagner, made by Hermann Ernst Freund. Plaster is a humble material, but one capable of capturing the subtlest details. Look closely at the sharp, decisive carving of the hair, and the penetrating gaze of the eyes. It is a material associated with reproduction rather than original creation. Sculptors often used plaster casts as models for marble sculptures, relying on skilled laborers to translate their designs into stone. There’s a tension here: plaster allowed for a degree of artistic expression, yet it also spoke to a world of commerce and mass production. Freund, by choosing plaster, was not only nodding to the classical tradition of bust sculpture, but also engaging with the burgeoning industrial practices of his time. The bust captures a sense of individual character, while also reminding us of the social and economic forces shaping artistic production.