Three Dancing Maidens
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''Three Dancing Maidens'' () is a
nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
fountain (Nymphenbrunnen) sculpture by Walter Schott. There are three full-size versions or
castings In metalworking and jewelry making, casting is a process in which a liquid metal is delivered into a mold (usually by a crucible) that contains a negative impression (i.e., a three-dimensional negative image) of the intended shape. The metal is ...
of the bronze sculpture. One is known as the '' Untermyer Fountain'' in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the second is in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
’s Den Brandt Park, and the third is in the courtyard of the Burg Schlitz Hotel, a grand hotel in the
Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...
region of northern Germany. Identification of the original sculpture created for
Rudolf Mosse Rudolf Mosse (8 May 1843 – 8 September 1920) was a German publisher and philanthropist. Biography Mosse was born in Grätz, Grand Duchy of Posen, as the son of Dr. Markus Mosse, a noted Jewish physician. He began his career as an apprentic ...
in 1909, and later looted by the Nazi Party is the subject of research, which appears to be leading to the version in the Burg Schlitz castle. Three-quarter-scale castings, likely to be examples of the sculptor's early drafts, can be found in Germany, Austria, and Northern California.


Description

The bronze sculpture features three life-size young women dancing in a circle, their dresses wet and clinging to their bodies. The girls have their fingers intertwined and gleeful expressions on their faces. Dianne Durante, author of ''Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan'', wrote that "it radiates delight, in a way few sculptures match, and there isn’t any point of view that doesn’t reveal some new, graceful aspect".


History


Creation

Schott began the creation of ''Three Dancing Maidens'' towards the end of the 19th century, using girls from the local Berlin area as models. After numerous sketches, he made a model at a three-quarter-scale followed by 36 more attempts. Despite all the work, he was unhappy with the project until he met
Rudolf Mosse Rudolf Mosse (8 May 1843 – 8 September 1920) was a German publisher and philanthropist. Biography Mosse was born in Grätz, Grand Duchy of Posen, as the son of Dr. Markus Mosse, a noted Jewish physician. He began his career as an apprentic ...
. Mosse, a wealthy and influential newspaper magnate in Berlin, spoke with Schott about his desire to have a fountain on the grounds of his residence on
Leipziger Platz Leipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße east of (and adjacent to) Potsdamer Platz. History Layout and original architecture The square with the shape of an octagon, initially ...
. The was already home to a large collection of art and Mosse hoped to have a decorative fountain placed in the courtyard. The conversation inspired Schott who, as a perfectionist, worked on the design for several more years. The piece was finally installed in the early 1900s. There are three known full-size castings of the finished sculpture and several three-quarter-scale castings have also been found. Two additional full-size copies were cast in 2003.


Ownership

When Rudolf Mosse died in 1920 his estate passed onto his daughter Felicia and her husband
Hans Lachmann-Mosse Hans (John Rudolf) Lachmann-Mosse, ''till 1911'' Hans Lachmann (August 9, 1885 - April 18, 1944), was a German publisher, director during the Weimar years of the Rudolf Mosse media empire whose titles included the '' Berliner Morgen-Zeitung'' and ...
, including the newspaper ''
Berliner Tageblatt The ''Berliner Tageblatt'' or ''BT'' was a German language newspaper published in Berlin from 1872 to 1939. Along with the '' Frankfurter Zeitung'', it became one of the most important liberal German newspapers of its time. History The ''Berli ...
''. The rise to power of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
meant that a Jewish-run media empire was not viewed favourably. In 1933, Nazi officer arrived at the Mosse Palais and announced the imminent auction of all the artwork, including the fountain. The family fled, and the building was turned into
Hans Frank Hans Michael Frank (23 May 1900 – 16 October 1946) was a German Nazi politician, lawyer and convicted war criminal who served as head of the General Government in German-occupied Poland during the Second World War. Frank was an early member ...
's
Academy for German Law The Academy for German Law () was an institute for legal research and reform founded on 26 June 1933 in Nazi Germany. After suspending its operations during the Second World War in August 1944, it was abolished after the fall of the Nazi regime on ...
. A photograph taken in 1940 shows the courtyard with a stone lion replacing Schott's sculpture. Many pieces of art stolen by the Nazi Party have been returned to their original owners, while others have been lost. Wally Mersereau, a wealthy investor from
Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
, enjoyed spending time as an amateur researcher. Around the early 2010s, Mersereau visited New York City, and a walk in the
Conservatory Garden The Conservatory Garden is a formal garden near the northeastern corner of Central Park in Upper Manhattan, New York City. Comprising , it is the only formal garden in Central Park. Conservatory Garden takes its name from a conservatory that ...
in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
drew his attention to the '' Untermyer Fountain''. The plaque showed that the fountain was dedicated to
Samuel Untermyer Samuel Untermyer (March 6, 1858 – March 16, 1940) was a prominent American lawyer and civic leader. He is also remembered for bequeathing his Yonkers, New York estate, now known as Untermyer Park, to the people of New York State. Life Samu ...
and his wife Minnie. With help from translated excerpts from Schott's memoirs Mersereau was able to track down six versions of ''Three Dancing Maidens'' including the original, two full-size casts, and three three-quarters scale versions, plus two more recent full-size reproductions. The ''Untermyer Fountain'' is one of the full size casts which was donated to the park by the children of Samuel Untermyer in 1947, having originally stood at his Greystone estate in
Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
. Mersereau made it his personal mission to find every copy of the sculpture that existed, travelling the globe to view each one. He found two other full-size versions: one in ,
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, and the other in the courtyard of the , a hotel in
Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...
, Germany. The one in Germany is believed to be the original but provenance is disputed. If investigations found which one was the original it may have to be returned to the Mosse family estate. The plinth on which the sculpture stands may also be the original but testing it requires permission of the owner, something he has not been keen to do. There are currently three of the three-quarters size versions known from the 36 originally cast. One is in the rear garden of the Stauss Villa in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
- Dahlem. Another, known as the ''
Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
Fountain'', can be found in a park in
Burlingame, California Burlingame () is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame and is known for its ...
; and another in a private park in the
Austrian Alps The Central Eastern Alps (), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps () or just Central Alps, comprise the Main chain of the Alps, main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent regions of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy and Slov ...
. In 2003 two additional full-size copies were cast from molds taken from the Burg Schlitz version. One is on the grounds of in southwestern Germany, and the other is outside the
E.ON E.ON SE is a European multinational electric utility company based in Essen, Germany. It operates as one of the world's largest investor-owned electric utility service providers. The name originates from the Latin word '' aeon'', derived from ...
administration building in
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
. File:Untermeyer fountain1-Walter Schott.jpg, The '' Untermyer Fountain'' in New York. File:De dansende nymfen.JPG, The fountain in Den Brandt Park, Antwerp. File:20030705770DR Hohen Demzin Burg Schlitz Nymphenbrunnen.jpg, The fountain at the Burg Schlitz. File:Schloss Gondelsheim.jpg, A copy at Gondelsheim Castle.


References

{{coord missing, New York (state) Bronze sculptures in Central Park Sculptures of dancers Fountains in New York City Outdoor sculptures in Manhattan Sculptures in Central Park Sculptures of women in New York City