Clemens Buscher (19 June 1855, Gamburg - 8 December 1916,

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...

) was a German sculptor and

wood carver Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

Biography

He was born to Friedrich Buscher, a

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, ...

, and his wife, Dorothea née Häfner. After completing elementary school, he worked in the family shop, which his eldest brother Karl (1844-1887) took over after their father's early death in 1866. He began a formal apprenticeship in 1872, with the sculptor , in

Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which bec ...

, and produced his first independent works in 1874. He then worked as an assistant in

Konstanz Konstanz (, , locally: ; also written as Constance in English) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was ...

. In 1876, together with his older brother, , he enrolled at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...

, where he studied sculpture with

Joseph Knabl Joseph Knabl (17 July 1819 – 3 November 1881) was an Austrian sculptor who specialized in religious statuary. Early years and studies Knabl was born at Fliess, Tyrol, to a peasant family. He tended cattle as a boy, but showed an early aptitu ...

and Syrius Eberle. A year later, he received a medal from King

Ludwig II Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or ('the Fairy Tale King'). He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the ...

and a scholarship for two years in Italy. After returning to Munich, he lived with the architect, Joseph Elsner, who helped support him and his younger brother, Thomas Buscher, who was also a sculptor. He became a teacher of modeling, carving and drawing at the Kunstgewerbeschule Düsseldorf in 1883. He also joined several art associations, including

Malkasten Malkasten (English: "Paintbox") is a progressive German artists' association, founded in Düsseldorf in 1848, during the March Revolution. Since 1867, their headquarters have been in the Pempelfort district. History During the unrest in 1848, a ...

. Shortly after, he was named an

Ehrenbürger Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

(honorary citizen) in his hometown. In 1893, he married Theodora Budde (1866-1943); daughter of the painter . They had a daughter the following year. He was promoted to Professor in 1898, for his monumental statue of Kaiser

Wilhelm I William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian dialects, Hessian: , "Franks, Frank ford (crossing), ford on the Main (river), Main"), is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as o ...

. In 1902, he was forced to resign for health reasons, but continued to sculpt until his death. Due to his preference for bronze, and the fact that he had been largely forgotten, several of his works, including the statue of Wilhelm I, were melted down for war materiel during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In 2013, the family home in Gamburg was turned into a museum, honoring him and his brother Thomas.

References

External links

Gamburger Buscher-Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buscher, Clemens 1855 births 1916 deaths German sculptors Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni People from Main-Tauber-Kreis

Biography

References

Further reading

External links