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Gerhard Henning – Kærlighedsgruppe (The Love Group), Marble Sculpture, 1922/1928
€10,088
Gerhard Henning (1880–1967)
A beautiful and sensual marble sculpture titled Kærlighedsgruppe (The Love Group), created between 1922 and 1928.
- Height: 33 cm
- Length: 42 cm
- Unsigned (but well-documented)
Description
Kærlighedsgruppe is one of Gerhard Henning’s most iconic sculptures, capturing intimacy and sensuality in a refined composition. The female figure is delicately finished, while the male figure remains only partially carved—an intentional technique that highlights Henning’s fascination with the sketch-like and the unfinished.
Despite his reserved nature, Gerhard Henning was encouraged to exhibit at Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling (The Artists’ Autumn Exhibition) at Den Frie Udstilling in Copenhagen in 1924. Several artists, including Harald Giersing, who was part of the exhibition’s board, persuaded him to participate. Henning accepted the official invitation, and his 82 exhibited works became a central highlight of the event. The Danish magazine Vore Damer reviewed the exhibition in November 1924, featuring Kærlighedsgruppe—catalog number 406, dated 1922—originally created in clay as a study for this marble sculpture.
In a 1927 interview, Henning described his artistic philosophy:
"I do not create my figures within a specific timeframe. And what does 'finished' even mean? That is a word for the audience. There is always something that can be refined further—something that can be improved."
This perspective is clearly reflected in Kærlighedsgruppe, where the contrast between the rough, unpolished areas and the refined sections creates a delicate balance between completion and suggestion.
Provenance
- Artist’s estate auction: Fortegnelse over forladte arbejder af billedhuggeren Gerhard Henning (Inventory of Abandoned Works by Sculptor Gerhard Henning), Arne Bruun Rasmussen, 1968, catalog no. 12, illustrated p. 19.
- Previously owned by Supreme Court Attorney Ole Gangsted-Rasmussen (1911–1998).
Literature & Documentation
- Mentioned in Vore Damer, November 1924.
- Photographically documented in Henning’s studio by Carl Georg Gjersøe in 1960.
This sculpture is a striking example of Henning’s ability to merge poetry and form in marble. A unique work that testifies to the artist’s deep understanding of the human figure and the expressive possibilities of stone.
| SKU | 106016 |
|---|---|
| Origin | Denmark |
| Year | 1922 / 1928 |
| Measurements | Height: 33 cm | Length: 42 cm. |
| Material | Marble |
| Location | Viewing available upon request |
| Style | Modern |
| Artist | Gerhard Henning |
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