FRANZ VON STUCK (GERMAN, 1863-1928)

The Athlete, modelled in 1890/92, was Stuck's first bronze sculpture, which together with Amazone, is probably his best known. The artist was only 28 years old when he created this idealised athlete, lifting up a heavy ball to head height. Stuck produced numerous sketches and anatomical studies for this work, along with a series of photographs in order to portray the effort involved in lifting up the ball with such exactitude. This sculpture appears to have held a great importance for the artist, and in the numerous photographs of the Villa Stuck casts of Athlete can often be seen in prominent positions. The sculpture is also depicted in the large-scale double portrait of Franz and Mary Stuck in the studio in 1892 (private collection). This cast has the foundry stamp of Leyher of Munich, and is signed ‘Franz Stuck’ and therefore dates to the period before the ennoblement of the artist in 1905 after which he signed ‘Franz von Stuck’.