Franz Xaver Messerschmidt: More Than Character Heads (Belvedere, Vienna) Flitsaanbieding

Grotesque, ambiguous, fascinating: the “Character Heads” by German/Austrian sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736-1783) are world-famous, yet remain enigmatic to this day. This publication offers a re-evaluation, recognizing in them reflections of an enlightened age. Since the 20th century, Messerschmidt’s “Character Heads” have repeatedly been interpreted from a psychopathological perspective, as studies of emotions or even as the products of a mentally disturbed artist. What is often overlooked is that the sculptor’s work was a response to the social and scientific upheavals of the 18th century. This publication re-examines the “Character Heads” within the context of the contemporary preoccupation with facial expressions and physiognomy, considering them as phenomena of their era, shaped by the ideas of the Enlightenment.