Ludwig van Beethoven, Büste, "Beethoven aux grands cheveux" - Fotografie des Ateliers Bulloz nach einer Plastik von Antoine Bourdelle

During his entire life, did Ludwig van Beethoven"s music inspire Antoine Bourelle to create busts and statues, which show the composer he admired so much. In addition, the sculptor was convinced that he looked like Beethoven, so dealing with Beethoven, was at the same time dealing with himself, too.

Overall, Bourdelle"s Beethoven sculptors are extremely manifold with regard to their perception of the composer and their use of forms, and by all means do they differ in quality. While his early busts of Beethoven are more geared to authentic portraits of the composer, Bourdelle started to create significantly more free and expressive sculptures after knowing the works of Auguste Rodin (1849-1915). Those sculptures are less geared to Beethoven"s actual look. In fact, the artist"s main concern was to express through his sculptures: pathos, tragedy, and heroical passion, tragedy, but also lyrical and romantic feelings. (S.B.)