Adolf von Hildebrand

Adolf von Hildebrand , 1847-1921, German sculptor and author. He studied in Munich and in Italy, where he spent 18 years. He is best known for his dignified public monuments, such as the equestrian statue of Bismarck in Bremen, and for his realistic portrait busts. Hildebrand defined his art theory in The Problem of Form (tr. 1907), urging that sculpture should emphasize clarity of form rather than meticulous detail.

Hildebrand, Adolf von (1847–1921). German sculptor and writer on art. He spent much of his career in Italy and is regarded as one of the main upholders in his period of the classical tradition in sculpture. His most characteristic works were nude figures—timeless and rather austere, in the high-minded tradition of Greek art—although he also made several large monuments, including a statue of the composer Johannes Brahms in Meiningen (1898). He is now, however, better known for his treatise Das Problem der Form in der bildenden Kunst (1893) than for his highly accomplished but rather bland sculpture. The book went through many editions (an English translation, The Problem of Form in Painting and Sculpture, was published in 1907) and it was influential in promoting a move against surface naturalism in sculpture.

Hildebrand, Adolf von (b Marburg, 6 Oct. 1847; d Munich, 18 Jan. 1921). German sculptor and writer on art. He spent much of his career in Italy and is regarded as one of the main upholders in his period of the classical tradition in sculpture. His most characteristic works were nude figures—timeless and rather austere, in the high-minded tradition of Greek art—although he also made several large monuments, including a statue of Johannes Brahms in Meiningen (1898). He is now, however, better known for his treatise Das Problem der Form in der bildenden Kunst (1893) than for his highly accomplished but rather bland sculpture. The book went through many editions (an English translation, The Problem of Form in Painting and Sculpture, was published in 1907) and it was influential in promoting a move against surface naturalism in sculpture.