Sculptuur van Hans en Grietje door vermoedelijk Carl Cauer before 1910

This sculpture of Hans and Gretel may have been made by Carl Cauer, but we're not sure. Imagine the artist, perhaps Cauer, feeling the cool plaster in their hands, coaxing the forms into being. The children sit nestled together, a refuge from the dark forest. Gretel leans against Hans, her posture conveying vulnerability and exhaustion, while he looks outwards—a picture of childlike resolve. I always wonder, what was it like to create something like this? Maybe the artist felt protective of the children, wanting to freeze them in a moment of peace before their next adventure. You know, when I look at their tiny bare feet I want to take them home and put them on my shelf. The surface seems so smooth, like you could run your hands over it without feeling a thing. Artists like Cauer are in dialogue with folk tales and each other, reimagining these stories across time. Here, the artist captures the beauty of this childhood bond and reminds us of our favorite story books and shared fables.