Marcel Wolfers

Marcel Wolfers (1886–1976) was a Belgian sculptor, and medallist, well known for his war memorials completed in the Interwar Period (1919–39).

Early life

Marcel Wolfers was born into a talented artistic family in Brussels. His grandfather Louis Wolfers (1820–92) and father Philippe (1858-1929) were well-established decorative artists working in a variety of media, including ceramics and metalwork as well as sculpture. By the turn of the century, Philippe had become one of the best-known Belgian decorative artists in the style called Art Nouveau, frequently collaborating with other prominent figures such as the architect Victor Horta.

Marcel Wolfers matriculated to the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he studied under the multitalented artist Isidore de Rudder (1855-1943), who had actually also trained his father. There Marcel became proficient in sculpture, mainly in ceramics but also in other materials such as metal and stone.

Career

Marcel Wolfers began his artistic career before World War I. He produced several works in 1908 and 1909. Early on, he showed most of his interest in ceramics and began experimenting with lacquers and their ability to produce brilliant colors. 1910, in connection with the Brussels Universal Exhibition he exhibited medals of considerable interest.

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, when Belgium was invaded by the German armies, he joined the Belgian cavalry, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. His exploits in combat brought him many honors and citations: he was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Couronne night of the Order of the Crownand received the Medal of Yser and the Belgian and French Croix de Guerre, among other decorations.

After the war, he was commissioned to collaborate with several architects on various war memorials, including the ''Monument aux Martyrs'' at Louvain, the ''Monument aux Morts'' at Trazegnies, the ''Monument Guynemer'' at Poelcapelle, and several others. Of these, probably the best known is ''La Baiser de la Victoire'' he Kiss of Victory(1923), which was installed initially on in the Parc Parmentier in Brussels but in the 1960s was removed a short distance away to the Cimetiere Woluwe de St-Pierre. The bluestone sculpture consists of a central standing bare-chested, unarmed male soldier being embraced and supported from behind by a cloaked woman. Above them to the right, a completely nude female winged figure—undoubtedly a symbol of Victory—contorts her body over the top of the soldier’s head, appearing to lean in to kiss the soldier. A smaller-scale reproduction in wood from 1925 is owned by The Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach, Florida.

Honours

* 1934: Officer in the Order of the Crown.Royal order of 7.4.1934.

File:LaqueMarcelWolfers3.jpg, lacquer with gold powder

Bibliography

* ''Wolfers Philippe et Marcel. De l'art nouveau à l'art déco.'' Brussels: Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire - Crédit communal de belgique, s.d.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfers, Marcel
Belgian male sculptors
Artists from Brussels
Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Belgian military personnel of World War I
Belgian war artists
Belgian architectural sculptors
20th-century Belgian sculptors
1886 births
1976 deaths