Ludwig van Beethoven, Maske - Mezzotinto des Verlages Friedrich Bruckmann nach einer Plastik von Antoine Bourdelle

Antoine Bourdelle's bust "Beethoven Metropolitain" (1902), in its concept, completely carries on the tradition of Auguste Rodin's art, who was his teacher.

In his depiction, Bourdelle focuses on the psychological expression. Other artists who created Beethoven busts in the early 20th century also tried to develop such an approach. But compared to his contemporaries, Bourdelle proceeds with his expressivity much further. He is less interested in a natural portrait of Beethoven, than in interpreting the artist's personality through his sculpture. In this respect, he uses the hair above all to express the inner character of Ludwig van Beethoven and also his music. The mass of wildly moving curls receives an importance that almost dominates over the importance of his face. It starts to become independent, and with its whirling single forms, it reaches the border to abstraction.(S.B.)