Leonhard Kern

Exhibited by Galerie Neuse

Material Ivory

Dimensions 20.5 × 10.5 cm

Place of Creation Schwäbisch Hall

Price Available upon inquiry

Status Vetted

About the Work

A man, devoid of attributes, is depicted here supporting, and preventing from falling, a woman who collapses in fright or pain. The style of the work, the shapes of the bodies, the virtuosity with which the differences in male and female anatomy are expressed, and above all the fact that the work of art is sculpted all around in soft forms and smooth motion identifies the work clearly as a masterpiece by Leonhard Kern (1588–1662). The latter lived and worked in Schwäbisch Hall and was one of the leading German sculptors of ivory pieces in the Baroque period. A wealth of characteristic details convincingly characterise this small-format sculpture as one of his very own creations.

Kern's artistic interpretation is not centred as much on portraying the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden, but rather on showing the two subjects’ emotional state after their calamitous fall from grace and banishment from paradise. The relationship between Adam and Eve is depicted the moment they realise they have been cast out into the harsh reality of the world. They are both compelled to recognise and accept their fate. Adam is the one who can pull himself together and immediately regain his strength, because he understands that Eve will despair without his protection and loving help.

The dramatic statement within the work is determined by the contrast between the emotional states of mind of the man and the woman, at the first moment after their banishment. While providing her physical support, Adam raises his left hand and not only points upwards, but also in such a way that Eve is admonished to accept her fate. She, on the other hand, is unable as yet to do so, turning her head to the side in tears and stretching her left arm almost dramatically past Adam’s head, grasping at nothingness.

The work is carved from a single piece of ivory and is so ingenious in its composition that it manifests perfection in every detail, always providing new views from every angle. Kern’s virtuosity in designing such a work without any weak areas is also revealed when viewed from above and below. Small sculptures collected in Mannerist and Baroque ‘chambers of art’ were intended not only for the eye but also to be held in the hand so as to feel and sense their shape, form and surface, and thus to enjoy them in a dual sense. If the owner had guests, the item would be passed from hand to hand and would be admired and judged in the ensuing conversation.

This seemingly small work of art, immaculately preserved down to the last detail, is not only the creation of a sculptor of the highest order, but testifies above all to Kern’s unique ability to visualize, with a keen sense of psychology, the relationship between man and woman as a couple in exceptional circumstances. He does so in a touchingly human manner, while mastering its artistic expression with absolute perfection.

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Provenance

Maître Kohn, Paris, 2013

Literature

E. Grünewald, Leonhard Kern. Ein Bildhauer des Barock, Schwäbisch Hall 1969.

Cat. Leonhard Kern. Meisterwerke der Bildhauerei für die Kunstkammern
Europas. Exhibition in Schwäbisch Hall, 1988.

H. Siebenmorgen (ed.), Leonhard Kern. Neue Forschungsbeiträge, Sigmaringen 1990.

W. Rößler, V. Schneider and W.-G. Fleck, Die Künstlerfamilie Kern 1529-1691: Hohenloher Bildhauer und Baumeister des Barock, Sigmaringen 1998, p. 115-172.