The sculpture titled God, originally attributed to Morton Livingston Schamberg, is now recognized as a co-authored piece featuring the work of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. Born in 1874 in Świnoujście, she moved through Germany, Italy, and eventually the United States, leaving a legacy as a multifaceted creator, writer, and performance artist who challenged societal norms.
Formative Years and Marriages
Born Else Hildegard Plötz, she grew up in Pomerania under a controlling father, a mason, and an observant mother whose craft involved repurposing found objects. After studying in Dachau, she lived in Berlin and Italy. Her marital history was complex, including a marriage to architect August Endell and a subsequent union with Felix Paul Greve. By 1913, after arriving in New York, she married Baron Leopold von Freytag-Loringhoven.
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In New York, she worked in a cigarette factory and modeled for artists such as Louis Bouché and Theresa Bernstein. She utilized street debris to construct elaborate costumes and sculptures, effectively creating living collages. These performances served as critiques of bourgeois femininity and consumerism. Notable physical assemblages include Enduring Ornament from 1913, Earring-Object, and the 1920 portrait of Marcel Duchamp.
Literary Contributions and Legacy
Featured in The Little Review starting in 1918, her poetry explored sound structures and portmanteau compositions like Phalluspistol. Much of her writing remained unpublished until the release of Body Sweats: The Uncensored Writings of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven in 2011. Her personal papers, preserved by Djuna Barnes, are now held at the University of Maryland Libraries. She died in 1927 in Paris and is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1874, Świnoujście
- Died: 1927, Paris
- Occupations: writer, poet, artist, painter, sculptor, model, performance artist, draftsperson
- Movements: Dada, Art Nouveau
- Burial site: Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Notable work: God (co-authored)
- Residence: New York City (1913–1923)
- Language: German
Questions readers ask
What movements was she associated with?
She was active within the Dada and Art Nouveau movements.
Where are her manuscripts stored?
The University of Maryland Libraries holds a collection of her correspondence and manuscripts.
Achievements
- Notable work: Body Sweats: The Uncensored Writings of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
- Notable work: God
- Movement: Dada and Art Nouveau