Arno Breker. Zeichnungen Dessins Drawings - Erstausgabe

A volume of illustrations of a contemporary of Maillol, Picasso and Dali - Works from 60 years.

Berlin/New York - An unusual book has appeared on the art market: the illustrated volume DRAWINGS - DESSINS - ZEICHNUNGEN of Arno Breker (1900-1991). In the large format publication (33 x 26 cm) there are 110 drawings, watercolors and mixed techniques of the various creative periods. Arno Breker is the leading sculptor of the classical tradition of the 20th century, who has placed the human being in the center of his work. As an art personality and contemporary of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Ernst Fuchs, Leonor Fini, Man Ray, George Braque, Andre Derain, Marc Chagall, Johnny Friedlaender, Jean Cocteau, Charles Despiau, Aristide Maillol, he definitely belongs to the great ones of European art of the 20th century.

The very select book with the masterful drawings links up with the art of Auguste Rodin, Charles Despiau and Aristide Maillol, steeped in tradition. In this artistic succession, Arno Breker stands in his place firmly with his total work as a sculptor, as well as with his drawings.

Insight into the poetry and power of the Master

What does the observer see in the book?
He gets an insight into the power to make drawings of the Master, for whom the most prominent personalities of his time sat model for portrait busts. He gets an insight not only into the techniques of the drawings, but also into the poetry of the artist.

The names of the models of his drawings are however veiled in the veil of secrets, and remain largely anonymous, apart form a few beautiful contemporary youths, who have won medals and glory in the Olympic Games.

In the book of drawings Arno Breker proves more than once that he is the creator of the ideal portrait of the human being: the creator of the man and in equal measure creator of the woman. In his female models of the 1920's in Paris one finds the longing and eroticism, for which the young artist develops a special sensitivity. The power and admiration of the divine creations comes yet in all his drawings into expression. This is valid also for his mature works as well as for the last drawings from the year 1990.

The work was edited by the author Uwe Möller, president of the Arno Breker Society. The scientific oversight was provided by Dr. Carola Breker. Thus the book has become a work of high importance in art history. This goes also for the configuration in dark blue cloth cover with a signature of the artist embossed in silver. The fact that the representative volume appeared in German, French and English only strengthens the international interest in it.

Loyalty to Nature and Tradition

Breker's editor of many years, J.F. Bodenstein has published it in the MARCO Edition Bonn-Paris-New York. The vivid text, the detailed description of the illustrations are clearly arranged and informative. A photograph of the atelier by Marco G. Bodenstein brings to the reader a special pleasure. It shows Arno Breker with one of his male models, as he works in the studio. It is so current as if it were photographed only yesterday. The publication of photographs of female models during work in the atelier was not possible. In the meantime, the beautiful women have all married. It could have possibly caused problems with the husbands, if the saw their wives shown as nude models.

A valuable addition to the book is the reprinted handwritten creed of the artist: "Loyalty to Nature and to the Tradition are my foundation pillars". The Master has written this sentence on November 30, 1980, at the age of 80. In brief: this is a wonderful book with masterful drawings by Arno Breker, some of them published for the first time. This publication should not be absent from any art collection and from any library.