SPRING
PHILIPPE WOLFERS (1858–1929)
Belgian
Date : 1916 (Ivory model : 1913)
Dimensions : 57 × 15 × 15 cm
Material : White Carrara marble
Signature : “Ph Wolfers”
Provenance : Freddy Wolfers’ Private Collection, Belgium
Historical and artistic context
This sculpture depicts a nude female figure embodying the allegory of Spring, rendered in an elongated and gently arched posture. The arms raised behind the head, in a gesture that suggests both awakening and offering, accentuate the verticality and sinuous grace of the composition. A subtle contrapposto animates the body and creates a delicate interplay of tensions and balances.
The modelling displays great refinement, characteristic of Philippe Wolfers’ mature style. The finely polished surface of the marble captures the light softly, lending the flesh an almost vibrant quality. Flowers and fruits intertwine within the hair, essential iconographic elements that affirm the allegorical identity of the figure: renewal, fertility, abundance, and blossoming.
The balance between controlled sensuality and decorative refinement reflects the personal synthesis achieved by Wolfers between academic tradition and Symbolist sensibility.
The model was first executed in ivory in 1913. The present example constitutes the only version realised in marble, carved in 1916, representing the culmination of this composition.
Literature
- ADRIAENSSENS, Werner, STEEL, Raf, De Wolfers dynastie : Van Art Nouveau tot Art Deco, Antwerpen, Pandora Uitgeverij, 2006.
