Rudolf Belling
Organic Forms (Striding Man), 1921

Artist
Rudolf Belling

Title
Organic Forms (Striding Man)

Year of creation
1921

Technique and dimensions
bronze, silver-plated, 54 x 21 x 18 cm

Year of acquisition
2004

Acquired as a gift from the artist's heirs to the Friends of the National Gallery,

Belling's interest from the outset was in a framework-like, tense and precisely shaped penetration of the physical volume, which is clearly expressed in the figure "Organic Forms (Striding Man)". This sculpture, which is almost entirely made up of angulations, is reminiscent of medieval knight's armor or modern robot figures. Shiny formwork contrasts with structured openings, organic shapes contrast with technoid parts. This creates an exciting interplay between athletic energy and mechanical motor skills - always supported by Belling's concern to integrate space into solid physicality. The "Head in Mahogany" emphasizes the exotic moments, while the "Organic Forms (Striders)" focus entirely on the functional shape structures - two forms that explore the mass-space problem in different directions. In 1924, Carl Einstein characterized Belling's formal language with the words: "He separates and breaks down mass through and through into figures that fight for and concentrate themselves out of contrasts. Formed masses of air and light penetrate the hollow material form, which is broken off or opened so that contrasting forms can penetrate

estate , mean something for the National Gallery's already very good collection crucial addition. Precisely because Berlin and the National Gallery played such an important role for Belling in the 1920s and afterwards, the heirs were keen to add these works to the capital's collection.

Fritz Jacobi