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Bronze bust of a man with a long, narrow head, broad shoulders, and a slim upper torso.

Bronze bust of a man looking downwards in concentration. His eyes appear to be closed and his mouth is set in a stern, slim line. Many of his features are slender and narrow, especially his head which is uncommonly long with a large cranium. The man’s lengthy neck extends from broad, prominent shoulders. Stopping at the lower shoulder region, the man’s arms are largely absent, either intentionally or having broken off over time. The presence of the man’s left hand on his left pec, without a wrist or forearm, suggests the original existence of arms.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2021.196
People
Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German (Duisburg, Germany 1881 - 1919 Berlin, Germany)
Title
Head of a Thinker
Other Titles
Original Language Title: Kopf eines Denkers
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture
Date
1918, cast 1925-1926
Culture
German
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/370172

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1440, Modern and Contemporary Art, Secessionism: Munich, Vienna, Berlin
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Physical Descriptions

Medium
Bronze
Technique
Cast
Dimensions
62.2 × 58.4 × 30.5 cm (24 1/2 × 23 × 12 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Anita Lehmbruck, commissioned 1925-1926; Kunstmuseum Duisburg (1927-1937); removed from the collection by the National Socialist (Nazi) authorities, 1937, sold; to Karl Buchholz, 1939; [Buchholz Gallery, New York], sold; to Arthur K. and Mariot F. Solomon, Cambridge (1940-2021), bequest; to the Busch-Reisinger Museum, 2021.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Arthur K. and Mariot F. Solomon Collection
Accession Year
2021
Object Number
2021.196
Division
Modern and Contemporary Art
Contact
am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
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Exhibition History

  • Boston Collects Modern Art, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, 05/24/1964 - 06/14/1964
  • 32Q: 1440 Secessionism: Munich, Vienna, Berlin (Expressionism), Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 03/13/2023 - 02/10/2025

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu