Statues - Hither & Thither

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Düsseldorf
Stadt Düsseldorf
Nordrhein-Westfalen

Hofgarten

Peter von Cornelius

Düsseldorf 1783 - Berlin 1867
German painter, first director of the Königlichen Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf.
(Wikipedia)

Adolf von Donndorf
C.A. Bierling (Dresden)
1879

Description

Bronze statue of Cornelius, around the base between leaves the names düsseldorf - münchen - rom - berlin, the towns where Cornlius had worked.
On the pedestal two bronze reliefs:

(front) Allegory of Painting, a sphinx ride by a women with painter's palet;
(back) Allegorical representation of Italia honoring Germania with a laurel wreath; and two portrait medallions, Michelangelo above Italia, and Albrecht Dürer above Germania.

and two allegorical statues on the sides:

(left) a statues of Religion (Faith), with cross and bible;
(right) a statue of Poetry, with lyra.

On the foot of the pedestal are two further reliefs:

(front) a male and female figure representing Nature and the Genius. Cornelius had written under one of his drawings "Die Natur ist die Frau, der Genius der Mann; wenn beide sich in Liebe vereinigen, erzeugen sich unsterbliche Kinder, schön und herrlich, wie sie selbst."
(back) Faust and Helena, symbolising the unification of the German spirit with the classical form (we did not photograph this relief, is it still present?).

Click for larger photo in separate window

Religion

Painting

Poetry

Italia and Germania

Nature and Genius
Michelangelo
Albrecht Dürer

Inscription(s)

PETER v. CORNELIUS

Signature

A. Donndorf fec
Gegossen von C.A. Bierling Dresden 1878.

Sculptor

Adolf von Donndorf (Weimar 1835 - Stuttgart 1916), German sculptor from Dresden, father of Karl Donndorf (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Peter-von-Cornelius-Denkmal.
Endrulat, Bernhard, Das Cornelius-Denkmal in Düsseldorf: Geschichte seiner Errichtung und Enthüllung 1869 - 1879, Düsseldorf, 1879 (on-line).

Locatie (N 51°13'37" - E 6°46'44") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: denw062; Photograph: 6 August 2009 / updated: 8 October 2011
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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