Lauschende. 1941/42.
zinc.
Monogrammed on the plinth. Foundry mark “H. NOACK BERLIN” on the back of the plinth. One of 6 casts. Height: 132 cm (51.9 in).
Cast executed in 1942/43.
• The figure of the “Lauschende” (Listener) ranks among the most admired works from Kolbe's later period due to its graceful posture, introspective yet penetrating gaze, and natural nonchalance.
• To date, “Lauschende” has only been offered once on the international auction market and is a rarity for its small number of casts (source: artprice.com)
• Cast during the artist's lifetime.
• “Lauschende” was conceived in 1941/42 and executed in zinc in 1942/1943 due to material shortage in World War II.
• Another cast used to be in the artist's estate, today it is part of the collection of the Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin.

PROVENANCE: Private collection, Lower Saxony.

EXHIBITION: Autumn Exhibition, Prussian Academy of Arts, Berlin, October - December 1942. Cat. no. 154 (presumably a different copy).
Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung 1942, Haus der Kunst, Munich 1942, cat. no. 552, ill. p. 61 (presumably a different copy).

LITERATURE: Ursel Berger, Georg Kolbe. Life and Work, Berlin 1990, no. 183 (different copy).
"An artwork is a translation of life into a language. It involves capturing and omitting myriad impressions, sorting and emphasizing what is essential."
Georg Kolbe, 1912