August Wilhelm Goebel, Norne (zinc-warcast)

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Description

‘Norne’, Goddes of Fate and Destiny
Biography: August Wilhelm Goebel

Displayed in 1942 at the ‘Winterausstellung Düsseldorfer Künstler’ (‘Winter Exhibition of Düsseldorfer Artists’), in the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 13-12-1942 to 31-01-1943
Single unique cast, with the core still inside (see X-ray photo below).
Weight 10 kilogram.

A life size copy of ‘Norne’, 170 cm high, executed in marmble, was exhibited in the GDK 1940.
A Norne-cast in bronze was displayed at the ‘Rheinische Kunstausstellung Wien’, 1941.

In the Germanic mythological tradition Norns are the Goddesses of Fate and Destiny of Gods and men. The Norns are said to visit each newly born child to allot his or her future.

Direct Lost-Wax Casting – the Single Unique Cast
In the direct lost-wax casting process (also named ‘cire perdue’), the sculptor begins by building a roughly modelled clay-core over a metal armature. The clay-core is baked to harden it and drive off moisture, and then a relatively thin layer of wax is applied that receives the detailing of anatomy, texture, facial features and signature. A mold is formed around the wax-model, when the mold is heated the wax melts and creates a space into which molten bronze is poured. Once the bronze is cast, the clay-core and armature can be removed to lessen the weight of the finished sculpture. Occasionally the core and armature rods are -in whole or in part- left inside the bronze. On sculptures meant to be placed outdoors, the clay-core and iron-armature are generally removed in order to avoid damage from absorption of water.
The direct lost wax technique allows the artist to cast directly off of the original model, and is ideal for wax models with complex surface textures as well as large and complex compositions. This casting method produces a Single Unique Cast from a Single Model (as opposed to one that is cast from a mold of an existing model). The original master model is lost in the casting process: producing more copies of the master model is impossible.
When X-ray photos show iron armature or internal frame inside the bronze, it is evident that the direct lost wax casting technique was used and that we have to do with the original cast/model.

X-ray photo of ‘Norne’ (zinc cast). Clearly visible are the several iron wires from the core inside.

Catalogue of the ‘Winterausstellung Düsseldorfer Künstler’, 1942, in the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 13-12-42 to 31-1-1943. Displayed was a cast of ‘Norne’ in Zinc.

A same copy of ‘Norne’ executed in marble and 94 cm high, was displayed at the ‘GAU-Ausstellung Westfalen-Süd, VII. Große Sauerländische Ausstellung’, Osthaus Museum der Stadt Hagen, 1944. Since 1944 it is in the possession of the Osthaus Museum, City of Hagen.

Catalogue of the ‘GAU-Ausstellung Westfalen-Süd, VII. Große Sauerländische Ausstellung’, Osthaus Museum der Stadt Hagen, 1944. Displayed was the marble copy of Norne, height 94 cm.
  

The marble Norne-copy in the Osthaus Museum (photos 2016).
  

Marble cast of ‘Norne’ depicted on the cover of the magazine ‘Die Koralle’, 1940, Heft 33.

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