02/05/2026
Today we celebrate the birthday of Karl Hartung (1908–1967), one of the most important figures in abstract sculpture in Germany. His sculpture “Sitzende Figur” (Seated Figure), dating from around 1937/38, is striking proof of just how groundbreaking and courageous he was as an artist. The sculpture is one of his earliest abstract figures, which he even had to hide in special boxes when his Berlin studio was regularly controlled by the N***s in their search for ‘degenerate art’. It symbolises his inner resistance to the aesthetics of National Socialism.
From autumn 2026, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin will present a major exhibition on abstraction in German art during the N**i era, in which Karl Hartung will be represented with various sculptures and drawings. The original plaster model of the “Sitzende Figur” will be on display there.
Karl Hartung
Sitzende Figur
Bronze
34 × 28 × 14 cm
©️ VG Bildkunst Bonn 2026