 |
 |
 |
|||
Description
‘Kleine Tänzerin’ (‘Little Dancer’)
Biography: Josef Thorak
Created before 1942.
Single unique cast, with core still inside (see X-ray photos below).
Only two other casts are known to exist. This is the original model with the core still inside (clay and iron-rods are visible to the eye).
The first phase of the bronze casting process: modeling the sculpture
Thorak usually began the modeling phase by first building an (iron-)armature; the support structure that serves as the skeleton of the sculpture. After forming the armature, he then added clay to the metal frame in order to form the inner core of the sculpture. Once the core was prepared, he modeled the figure in wax over the core until it reached its final form (smoothing the wax surface and adding fine details using hot metal tools). Thorak left one or two pins protruding from the base of the finished sculpture, to facilitate attaching it to the plinth.
Left and mid: the stone-plinth from the offered sculpture is removed: notice the two iron rods.
Right: Thorak creating a model in clay, around 1937. Notice the similar iron rods which attaches the model to the base (photo: Süddeutsche Zeitung).
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 ‘Kleine Tänzerin’. Clearly visible are the two iron rods from the core inside.
| – condition | : II |
| – size | : 42 cm high, excluding base 36 cm |
| – signed | : unsigned |
| – type | : bronze |
| – misc I | : created before 1942 (letter of Erna Thorak d.d. 1977 confirms sale in 1942 of one of the three casts) |
| – misc II | : original model of clay and iron-rods still inside |
============================================ § ============================================