Portrait Bust of Friedrich Nietzsche c. 1903 - 1904

This is a portrait bust of Friedrich Nietzsche by Max Klinger, currently residing at the Städel Museum. The material is bronze, a medium which allows for the capture of fine detail, but which here feels kind of sludgy and overworked. Notice the heaviness of the form, the dark, almost mournful tonality, and the way the philosopher's gaze seems to be directed downwards. There's a real sense of weight and gravity to this piece, which is mirrored in the thick, almost clotted texture of the bronze itself. Look closely, and you can see the marks and impressions of Klinger's tools - the evidence of his process is right there on the surface. The texture of the moustache is so overworked that the whole piece has a restless, unresolved quality. I'm put in mind of Rodin, who also wrestled with the weight and density of bronze. But whereas Rodin’s work seems to push towards some expressionistic goal, Klinger holds something back. He leaves us in a place of ambiguity.