Ernst Barlach: Sculpture 'The Singing Man' (1928), reduction in bronze, height 34 cm

This masterpiece by Ernst Barlach, cast in bronze in 1928, is an icon of modernism and probably the most frequently depicted sculptural work of German origin in the world. It adorns the covers of many illustrated books and is a permanent fixture in world-famous museums and collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In this sculpture we recognise 'infinity in the silent mirror of clear sounds, simple tones' (as Barlach wrote about a chance musical experience in a note dated 23 August 1914). 'The Singing Man' is a perfect example of what Barlach formulated as his artistic credo: 'My mother tongue is the human figure, or the milieu, the object through or in which man lives, suffers, rejoices, feels, thinks. To mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, we have produced a limited edition of just 150 copies of his famous 'Singing Man' as a large sculpture, available exclusively from ars mundi. Sculpture in fine bronze, cast by hand using the lost wax technique, chiselled and patinated. Moulded directly from the original and reduced in size (reduction). Limited edition of 150 pieces worldwide, individually numbered and with the signature 'E. Barlach' and the foundry mark. ars mundi exclusive edition. With numbered certificate of authenticity and limitation certificate. Size 34 x 26 x 40 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 13 kg.'One of the most outstanding and popular designs in Ernst Barlach's oeuvre is 'The Singing Man' from 1928, when the artist was at the height of his creative powers. Barlach's basic motif is man looking into his innermost being to the point of the abysmal. Posture, contemplation and thoughtfulness characterise his expressions. Listening is part of singing. Breathing technique and language must form a common arc from which purity emanates. Singing, like all music, is fleeting. What strikes the listener is not the song, the content. It is the sequence of notes, the manner, the melos, the uniqueness in which the song joins the cosmos as a member of an infinite order. It is the deep moment of realisation that the artist captures in every fold of his robe, in his whole body. It resonates and resounds through the sculpture (personare) and makes the person of the singer the instrument of something more significant.' (Dr Friedhelm Häring - former museum director and curator)