Richard Scheibe German sculptor Date of Birth: 19.04.1879 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Richard Scheibe
2. Early Work and Influences
3. Later Works and Recognition
4. Challenges and Reinstatement
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Richard Scheibe

Richard Scheibe was a German sculptor born on April 19, 1879, in Chemnitz, in a military family. He studied painting at the Dresden Academy from 1897 to 1899, and then spent two years in Italy to further his artistic education. It was during this time that he met Georg Kolbe, and their friendship lasted a lifetime. In 1901, Scheibe lived in Munich, followed by Dresden from 1902 to 1903, and then he moved to Berlin in 1904. Gradually transitioning from painting to sculpture between 1906 and 1907, Scheibe became acquainted with sculptor Gerhard Marcks, architect Walter Gropius, and artist Max Pechstein. He lived a very secluded life, and most of his early paintings were lost.

Early Work and Influences

The central theme of Scheibe's early sculptural works was the animal world. He also created a series of portrait busts. His works showed stylistic similarity to Georg Kolbe and representatives of French sculpture, such as Auguste Rodin and Aristide Maillol. Starting from 1913, the Berlin Secession regularly exhibited Scheibe's works, and in 1914, he was accepted into their ranks. During the First World War from 1914 to 1918, Scheibe fought on the frontlines. Almost all of his sculptures from this pre-war period were lost. In 1918, he met artist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and during this period, Scheibe exhibited alongside Georg Kolbe, with critics often emphasizing the similarities in their works.

Later Works and Recognition

In 1924, Peter Behrens, an architect from IG Farbenindustrie AG in Frankfurt am Main, asked Scheibe to design an exhibition pavilion. Scheibe created a memorial for those who died in the First World War. In 1925, he became the head of the Städel Art Institute in Frankfurt am Main as a professor. In 1926, to commemorate the anniversary of Friedrich Ebert's death, the city of Frankfurt am Main commissioned Scheibe to create a monument for the first president of the Weimar Republic. The monument, a bronze figure of a naked youth, was installed on the exterior wall of the Paulskirche.

Challenges and Reinstatement

In 1933, after the Nazis came to power, the Ebert monument was dismantled and destroyed, and Scheibe was dismissed from the institute. However, in 1934, he was reinstated following a period of persecution. Scheibe was returned to the institute and transferred to the Higher School of Fine Arts in Berlin, where he remained until 1945. In 1936, he became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts. IG Farben also installed another sculpture by Scheibe, titled "Liberation," in their exhibition pavilion, which commemorated the Saar's return to Germany after the referendum on January 13, 1935.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1937, Scheibe was awarded the title of professor. He created a two-meter bronze figure of a kneeling warrior with a sword and helmet for the memorial of the fallen residents of Höchst and Nieder, Frankfurt am Main, in the First World War. The memorial was dismantled in 1965. Scheibe's works were continuously exhibited at the annual art exhibition at the House of German Art in Munich. In 1944, on the occasion of his 65th birthday, he was awarded the Goethe Medal in the field of arts and sciences.

In August 1944, Adolf Hitler included Scheibe in a special "list of those endowed with divine talent," exempting him from being called to the front. In 1946, Scheibe created a series of female figures, including "Ascent," "Sleeping Girl," "Squatting Girl," "Reclining," and "Flora." In 1950, he became an honorary doctor at the Free University of Berlin. Scheibe executed a second version of the Friedrich Ebert monument, which was installed in its original location. In 1953, he created a memorial monument for the victims of the July 20, 1944 plot, which was placed in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin. Scheibe passed away on October 6, 1964, in Berlin.