Alfred Thiele

Alfred Thiele (21 September 1886 – 19 September 1957) was a German sculptor, and medallist.

Life Provenance and training Alfred Thiele was born in Leipzig. Carl Thiele (1859–1929), his father, was a book dealer. Alfred's initial training was in stonework and wood carving. Then between 1903 and 1908, he attended the Arts Academy ("Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst") in Leipzig. His teachers included Adolf Lehnert and Bruno Héroux.

Artist After a short stay in Munich Thiele returned to Leipzig and embarked on a career as a freelance artist. Starting in 1910, his work involved medallions and wall-mounted plaques. From 1911 he became more focused on figurines and participation in exhibitions. His early style reflected the naturalist and Jugendstil influences of the time, but during the 1920s he moved on through expressionism to so-called new realism. Influenced by Aristide Maillol and Wilhelm Lehmbruck, his artistic interest turned towards the presentation of physical movement and expressions of the human body. By 1928 he had become sufficiently well known to justify a newspaper headline that read "There is only one sculptor in Leipzig: Alfred Thiele!" ("Es gibt nur einen Bildhauer in Leipzig: Alfred Thiele!"). During the 1930s he began to apply the skills acquired working on small figures to much larger figures. Thiele applies his outstanding powers of observation, his sense for movement and other specialist abilities to developing a mastery of animal sculptures. Some of his designs were reproduced on an industrial scale by the firm, offered as both glazed and unglazed porcelain figures. He also applied himself to statues other adornments for monumental grave stones.

Teacher As a teacher, and later as director for sculpture classes at the Leipzig Arts Academy between 1921 and 1953, Thiele exercised a great influence. One example (among many) was setting up a close collaborative relationship between the academy and the city zoo which created a tradition of animal sculpture in Leipzig which endures to this day.

His pupils, in both a narrow and a broader sense, included , , , , , , Walter Arnold, , Gisela Richter-Thiele, Hans-Joachim Förster, , Gunter Morgner, Rolf Nagel and .

Output (selection)

1917 Tanzender weiblicher Akt, Bronze auf Serpentinsockel 1918 Porträtrelief Karl Kaiser und König von Österreich-Ungarn, Bronze 1919 Fliehende Daphne, Bronze auf Marmorsockel 1919 Kriegerdenkmal, Leisnig 1920 Majolikarelief Grabstätte Degener, Südfriedhof Leipzig 1921 Frauenkopf, fränkischer Muschelkalk 1921 Porträtrelief Wilhelm Felsche, Bronze 1924 Figur Seele, Bronze 1924 Hockender Akt, Bronze 1924 Trampeltier, Bronze 1925 Löwe, Bronze auf Marmorsockel 1925 Sitzende, Bronze 1925 Anbetende, Bronze auf Muschelkalksockel 1926 Leopard, an der Pfote leckend, Bronze 1927 Springender Hengst, Bronze auf Holzsockel 1927 Porträtrelief Arthur Hantzsch, Bronze 1928 Laufendes Dromedar, Bronze auf Marmorplinthe 1928 Bildnisköpfe in Terrakotta mit leichter Einfärbung von Haar und Lippen 1929 Schlafender Löwe, Grabstätte Wetzold, fränkischer Muschelkalkstein, Südfriedhof Leipzig 1929 Sinnende, Zementguss, Grassimuseum Leipzig 1929 Schreitende, Bronze (from 2012: Museum für angewandte Kunst, Leipzig) 1932 Liegendes Gnu, Bronze 1933 Lautenspielerin, Zementguss 1933 Porträtrelief Julius Klengel, Bronze 1936 Johannisfigur am in Leipzig 1937 Korbtragende Frau, , Wohnhaus Johannisplatz, Leipzig 1938 Polospieler, Bronze 1938 Nach abgeworfenem Speer, Bronze 1938 Liegender Baisabock, Bronze 1938 Panther, an Pfote leckend, Bronze 1938 Liegender Tiger, Bronze 1941 Der Morgen, Bronze 1941 Pelikan, Bronze 1942 Liegender Gepard, Bronze auf Muschelkalksockel 1947 Stehende, Bronze 1948 Witternder Tiger, Bronze 1949 Kumpel vor der Einfahrt, Bronze 1949 Laufende Giraffe, Bronze 1950 Relief Arbeit und Handel, Messehofpassage Leipzig 1953–55 Bauplastik, Ringbebauung Rossplatz, Leipzig 1956 Liegendes Guanako, Bronze