Johann Halbig
Encyclopedia
Johann Halbig, (July 13, 1814 – August 29, 1882) was a German
sculptor of Classicism. He was born at Donnersdorf in Lower Franconia and was educated at the Polytechnical School and at the Academy of Fine Arts
in Munich
. After the early death of his teacher and employer Ernst Mayer
he became his successor as professor of sculpture at the Polytechnic School in Munich, where most of his works can be found.
His most notable production was the colossal group of a quadriga
and lion
s on the triumphal arch (1847). He also carved the lions of the Pinakothek
and statues of Roma
and Minerva
in the palace gardens. He created 18 colossal statues representing the leading German provinces for the Befreiungshalle
at Kehlheim; 60 busts for the Pinakothek (Munich); a statue of King Maximilian II
for Lindau
(1854); a monument of Count Platen at Ansbach
(1858); the monument of Marshal Cachahiba d'Argolo in Bahía, Brazil
; a statue of King Ludwig I
of Bavaria for Kehlheim. Among his later works are a statue of Fraunhofer
in Munich (1866); an equestrian
statue of King William I of Württemberg
for Cannstatt
(1876); the "Emancipation" group of sculpture in New York
(1867-1868|68); and the "Passion" group at Oberammergau
(1875). His work is characterized by its decorative quality.
Johann Halbig died in Munich and was buried in the Alter Südfriedhof
.
http://museum.research.missouri.edu/objects/euroam/80-218EurVonHalbigNymphs.html
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Bathing Nymphs
Johann von Halbig
(German, 1814-1882)
Bathing Nymphs
1867
Carrara marble
(80.218)
Gift of the Unrestricted Development Fund
University of Missouri
At the age of seventeen Johann von Halbig became a student of Johann Ernst Mayers at the Polytechnikum in Munich where he became professor in 1846. During his lifetime he received many commissions for portrait busts, architectural decorations, and funerary monuments, most notably that of Maximilian II in 1856. Ludwig I of Bavaria invited him to do various decorative work. Examples of van Halbig's architectural decorations can be found on the portal of the Alte Pinakothek (1835), the north gate of the Munich Hofgarten (1840), the entrance to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (1841-1843), and the main portal of the Wittelsbach Palace (1848), to name a few.
A prolific sculptor, von Halbig created almost one thousand naturalistic portrait busts. Some were commissioned for the Hall of Fame at Walhalla, for the Maximilianeum in Munich, and for the Hall of Liberation near Kelheim. Although von Halbig created many public monuments with allegorical figures in marble and bronze, his commissions for private individuals were few.
Bathing Nymphs is a late manifestation of the Neoclassical style promulgated in Germany by Schadow, Rauch, and Schwanthaler. It was sent to an American patron.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
sculptor of Classicism. He was born at Donnersdorf in Lower Franconia and was educated at the Polytechnical School and at the Academy of Fine Arts
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich was founded 1808 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria in Munich as the "Royal Academy of Fine Arts" and is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. After the early death of his teacher and employer Ernst Mayer
Ernst Mayer (sculptor)
Ernst Mayer was a German sculptor of Classicism. He was a pupil of Antonio Isopi and worked for Leo von Klenze, mainly in München where he became professor of sculpting at the polytechnical school in 1830.-Life:...
he became his successor as professor of sculpture at the Polytechnic School in Munich, where most of his works can be found.
His most notable production was the colossal group of a quadriga
Quadriga
A quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast . It was raced in the Ancient Olympic Games and other contests. It is represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing...
and lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s on the triumphal arch (1847). He also carved the lions of the Pinakothek
Neue Pinakothek
The Neue Pinakothek is an art museum in Munich, Germany. Its focus is European Art of the 18th and 19th century and is one of the most important museums of art of the nineteenth century in the world...
and statues of Roma
Roma (mythology)
In traditional Roman religion, Roma was a female deity who personifed the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state. Her image appears on the base of the column of Antoninus Pius.-Problems in earliest attestation:...
and Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
in the palace gardens. He created 18 colossal statues representing the leading German provinces for the Befreiungshalle
Befreiungshalle
The Befreiungshalle is a historical classical monument upon Mount Michelsberg above the city of Kelheim in Bavaria, Germany. It stands upstream of Regensburg on the river Danube at the confluence of the Danube and the Altmühl, i.e...
at Kehlheim; 60 busts for the Pinakothek (Munich); a statue of King Maximilian II
Maximilian II of Bavaria
Maximilian II of Bavaria was king of Bavaria from 1848 until 1864. He was son of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.-Crown Prince:...
for Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
(1854); a monument of Count Platen at Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
(1858); the monument of Marshal Cachahiba d'Argolo in Bahía, Brazil
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
; a statue of King Ludwig I
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
of Bavaria for Kehlheim. Among his later works are a statue of Fraunhofer
Joseph von Fraunhofer
Joseph von Fraunhofer was a German optician. He is known for the discovery of the dark absorption lines known as Fraunhofer lines in the Sun's spectrum, and for making excellent optical glass and achromatic telescope objectives.-Biography:Fraunhofer was born in Straubing, Bavaria...
in Munich (1866); an equestrian
Equestrian sculpture
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin "eques", meaning "knight", deriving from "equus", meaning "horse". A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an "equine statue"...
statue of King William I of Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
for Cannstatt
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
(1876); the "Emancipation" group of sculpture in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(1867-1868|68); and the "Passion" group at Oberammergau
Oberammergau
Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The town is famous for its production of a Passion Play, its woodcarvers, and the NATO School.-Passion Play:...
(1875). His work is characterized by its decorative quality.
Johann Halbig died in Munich and was buried in the Alter Südfriedhof
Alter Südfriedhof
The Alter Südfriedhof is a cemetery in Munich, Germany. It was founded by Duke Albrecht V as a plague cemetery in 1563 about half a kilometer south of the Sendlinger Gate between Thalkirchner and Pestalozzistraße.-History:...
.
http://museum.research.missouri.edu/objects/euroam/80-218EurVonHalbigNymphs.html
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Bathing Nymphs
Johann von Halbig
(German, 1814-1882)
Bathing Nymphs
1867
Carrara marble
(80.218)
Gift of the Unrestricted Development Fund
University of Missouri
At the age of seventeen Johann von Halbig became a student of Johann Ernst Mayers at the Polytechnikum in Munich where he became professor in 1846. During his lifetime he received many commissions for portrait busts, architectural decorations, and funerary monuments, most notably that of Maximilian II in 1856. Ludwig I of Bavaria invited him to do various decorative work. Examples of van Halbig's architectural decorations can be found on the portal of the Alte Pinakothek (1835), the north gate of the Munich Hofgarten (1840), the entrance to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (1841-1843), and the main portal of the Wittelsbach Palace (1848), to name a few.
A prolific sculptor, von Halbig created almost one thousand naturalistic portrait busts. Some were commissioned for the Hall of Fame at Walhalla, for the Maximilianeum in Munich, and for the Hall of Liberation near Kelheim. Although von Halbig created many public monuments with allegorical figures in marble and bronze, his commissions for private individuals were few.
Bathing Nymphs is a late manifestation of the Neoclassical style promulgated in Germany by Schadow, Rauch, and Schwanthaler. It was sent to an American patron.
Further Reading
- Joseph Alois Kuhn (Anonym): Professor Johann Halbig und seine Werke, ein Beitrag zur modernen Kunstgeschichte. Knorr & Hirth, München, 1879. Digitalisat MDZ
- Longin Mößlein: Vom armen Bauernbuben zum geadelten Bildhauer in Schönere Heimat , Heft 2/2007 des Bayer. Landesvereins für Heimatpflege e.V.