The sculpture known as The Mole serves as a primary marker of the diverse creative output produced by Ernst Barlach. Born in 1870 in the German Reich, he operated as a multifaceted creator, working across sculpture, poetry, prose, and printmaking throughout a career that spanned the transition from Art Nouveau to the peak of German Expressionism.
Early Training and Influences
Barlach studied at the Gewerbeschule Hamburg before attending the Royal Art School Dresden from 1891 to 1895. His formal education concluded at the Académie Julian in Paris. During his early years, he worked in an Art Nouveau style, contributing illustrations to the magazine Jugend. In 1906, a trip to Russia proved transformative, shifting his focus toward figures defined by heavy drapery and expressive, emotive gestures.
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Initially a supporter of World War I, Barlach volunteered for infantry service in 1915. Discharged after three months due to a heart ailment, he returned as a committed pacifist. This shift in perspective profoundly influenced his creative direction, as he began producing anti-war sculptures that prioritized the raw, painful reality of conflict over nationalist heroism.
Literary and Artistic Recognition
Barlach was a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin, the Berlin Secession, and Die Kogge. His literary talent earned him the Kleist Prize in 1924 for his drama Die Sündflut. Other significant writings include the expressionist play Der blaue Boll. Throughout his career, he maintained a distinct, Lutheran-influenced focus on spiritual regeneration, often projecting personal mysticism into his narratives.
Political Conflict and Legacy
During the rise of the Nazi Party, Barlach faced intense scrutiny for his pacifist work, which was condemned as degenerate art. Sculptures like the Magdeburg cenotaph and Der Geistkämpfer provoked significant controversy for their anti-war imagery. Despite the state-sanctioned removal and destruction of his public commissions, several works survived the war. Barlach remained in Güstrow until his death in 1938.
Fast facts
- Born: 1870, Wedel
- Died: 1938, Rostock
- Movement: Expressionism
- Awards: Kleist Prize (1924), Pour le Mérite
- Primary Occupation: Sculptor
- Notable work: The Mole
- Religious background: Lutheranism
- Member: Academy of Arts, Berlin
Questions readers ask
What impact did the war have on his art?
His wartime service turned him into a pacifist, leading him to create works depicting the horror and desperation of combat rather than the glory of war.
Why were his works confiscated by the Nazis?
The Nazi Party labeled his anti-war sculptures as degenerate art because they contradicted the prevailing nationalist ideology of the time.
Achievements
- Kleist Prize — 1924
- Notable work: The Mole
- Movement: Expressionism
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