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{{short description|German sculptor (1851–1926)}}
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[[File:Iglesia de San Pedro, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 25.JPG|thumb|right|The original statue of Roland by Volz (damaged during World War II). A copy stands on the square outside the [[House of the Blackheads]]]]

[[File:La Maison des Têtes Noires (Riga).jpg|thumb|right|Allegorical sculptures on the facade of the House of the Blackheads, made by Volz]]
{{Infobox artist
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[[File:Opera Nacional, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 07.JPG|thumb|right|The fountain in front of the Latvian National Opera. Volz' designed both the fountain and the interiors of the opera house]]
| name = August Volz
[[File:Immeuble art nouveau (Tallinn) (7592171610).jpg|thumb|right|Sculpture by Volz on a house in [[Tallinn]] designed by [[Jacques Rosenbaum]]]]
| image = August_Franz_Leberecht_Volz.jpg
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'''August Volz''' (27 February 1851 – 20 June 1926) was a German-born sculptor working, Born in [[Magdeburg]], Volz worked mainly in [[Riga]], the present-day capital of Latvia. The workshop of Volz received prestigious commissions in Riga from its opening in 1876 and created several of the most well-known sculptures of the city, e.g. the [[Roland (statue)|Roland statue]] and sculptures decorating the [[House of the Blackheads (Riga)|House of the Blackheads]]. The firm of Volz was also responsible for the complete or partial decoration of a vast number of public buildings in the city.
| caption = Volz in early 1900s
| alt =
| birth_name = August Franz Leberecht Volz
| birth_date = {{birth date|1851|02|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Magdeburg]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]], [[German Confederation]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1926|06|20|1851|02|27|df=yes}}
| death_place =[[Riga]], [[Governorate of Livonia]], [[Russian Empire]] (present-day Riga, Latvia)
| nationality = German
| known_for = Sculpting
| training =
| movement =
| notable_works =
| patron =
| awards =
}}

⚫
[[File:Iglesia de San Pedro, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 25.JPG|thumb|right|The original statue of Roland by Volz (damaged during World War II). A copy stands on the square outside the [[House of the Blackheads (Riga)|House of the Blackheads]].]]
⚫
[[File:Opera Nacional, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 07.JPG|thumb|right|The fountain in front of the Latvian National Opera. Volz designed both the fountain and the interiors of the opera house.]]

⚫
'''August Franz Leberecht Volz''' ({{langx|lv|Augusts Francs Folcs}}; 27 February 1851 – 20 June 1926) was a German sculptor. Born in [[Magdeburg]], Volz worked mainly in [[Riga]], the present-day capital of Latvia. The workshop of Volz received prestigious commissions in Riga from its opening in 1876 and created several of the most well-known sculptures of the city, for example the [[Roland (statue)|Roland statue]] and sculptures decorating the [[House of the Blackheads (Riga)|House of the Blackheads]]. The firm of Volz was also responsible for the complete or partial decoration of a number of important public buildings in the city.


==Biography==
==Biography==
August Franz Leberecht Volz was born as the eleventh child of shoemaker Johann Volz and his wife Johanne Volz in [[Magdeburg]]. He received his basic education in the city and began an apprenticeship at a sculptor's workshop in Magdeburg at the age of 1865. In the spring of 1869 he moved to Berlin, where he initially worked in a sculptor's workshop and from autumn studied sculpting at the [[Prussian Academy of Arts]] under the tutelage of {{ill|Eduard Holbein|de}}, [[Carl Domschke]], {{ill|Friedrich Eggers|de}} and [[Karl Geppert]]. In 1870, at the outbreak of the [[Franco-Prussian War]], Volz tried to join the military but was refused, the first time because he was underage and the second time because there were already too many volunteers.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=13-69}}
August Franz Leberecht Volz was born as the eleventh child of shoemaker Johann Volz and his wife Johanne, née Morin,<ref name=BBLD>{{cite web|url= https://bbld.de/0000000382583416|language= de|title= Volz, August Franz Lehrecht|author= <!--Not stated-->|publisher= Baltisches Biographisches Lexikon|access-date= 1 October 2017}}</ref> in [[Magdeburg]]. He received his basic education in the city and began an apprenticeship at a sculptor's workshop in Magdeburg at the age of 1865. In the spring of 1869 he moved to Berlin, where he initially worked in a sculptor's workshop and from autumn studied sculpting at the [[Prussian Academy of Arts]] under the tutelage of {{ill|Eduard Holbein|de}}, [[Carl Domschke]], [[Friedrich Eggers]] and [[Karl Geppert]]. In 1870, at the outbreak of the [[Franco-Prussian War]], Volz tried to join the military but was refused, the first time because he was underage and the second time because there were already too many volunteers.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=13–69}}


Throughout his studies, Volz had been working at different workshops. In October 1871, Volz ceased his studies at the academy and began to work full-time for the firm Ende & Böckmann. The firm also took on commissions abroad, and it was through Ende & Böckmann that Volz came to Riga in the autumn of 1875 to work on the sculptural decoration of a large tenement house (on the present-day address Krišjāņa Barona iela 12). Already on 2 January 1876 he established his own firm in Riga.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=13-69}} Riga at that time already had a large [[Baltic German]] population.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=129}}
Throughout his studies, Volz had been working at different workshops. In October 1871, Volz ceased his studies at the academy and began to work full-time for the firm Ende & Böckmann. The firm also took on commissions abroad, and it was through Ende & Böckmann that Volz came to Riga in the autumn of 1875 to work on the sculptural decoration of a large tenement house (on the present-day address Krišjāņa Barona iela 12). Already on 2 January 1876 he established his own firm in Riga.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=13–69}} Riga had at that time a large [[Baltic German]] population.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=129}} In addition to his own work as a sculptor, Volz taught at the Art Academy of Riga after its establishment in 1906.{{sfn|Krastins|2014|p=17}}<ref name=BBLD/>


Volz married his first wife Maria, née Thurm, in 1876. The couple had seven children, of which two died before [[World War I]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=81-82}} Maria died in 1909 and in 1911 Volz married his second wife, Olga, née Kalning. The couple had one son.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=91}}
Volz married his first wife Maria, née Thurm, in 1876. The couple had seven children, of which two died before [[World War I]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=81–82}} Maria died in 1909 and in 1911 Volz married his second wife, Olga, née Kalning.<ref name=BBLD/> The couple had one son.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=91}}


Volz spent the rest of his life in Riga apart from the years of World War I, when he and his family were obliged to go into exile in the small town of [[Tsivilsk]]. This was because Volz had retained his German citizenship and the [[Russian Empire]] and Germany was at war. In Tsivilsk the family rented a room from the town's notary and were treated civilly by the authorities. His home in Riga, meanwhile, was used by both Russian officers and later Germans but kept intact and after his return in 1917 only his collection of hunting rifles were missing.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=95-105}}
Volz spent the rest of his life in Riga apart from the years of World War I, when he and his family were obliged to go into exile in the small town of [[Tsivilsk]]. This was because Volz had retained his German citizenship and the [[Russian Empire]] and Germany were at war. In Tsivilsk the family rented a room from the town's notary and were treated civilly by the authorities. His home in Riga, meanwhile, was used by both Russian officers and later Germans but kept intact and after his return in 1917 only his collection of hunting rifles were missing.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=95–105}}


Volz died in Riga in 1926. His descendants live in Germany. A memorial plaque was put up in 1996 at the site where Volz' workshop was located for many years on the present-day address Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 31.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=95-121}}
Volz died in Riga in 1926. His descendants live in Germany. A memorial plaque was put up in 1996 at the site where Volz' workshop was located for many years on the present-day address Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 31.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=95–121}}


==Workshop and firm==
==Workshop and firm==
Volz established himself in Riga at a time of great economic expansion of the old [[Hanseatic league|Hanseatic town]], which was a major port of the Russian Empire. During the years around the turn of the 19th-20th centuries Riga experienced an unprecedented building activity. At the same time, a professional cadre of local sculptors had not yet formed. Volz' workshop could therefore operate without serious competition, and developed into a large and profitable enterprise.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=81}} The firm eventually grew to employ about 130 people in the time around 1910, and had already in 1890 employed 40 people.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=153}} Following the death of August Volz in 1926, his widow Olga continued operating the firm with great skill and energy. On the eve of [[World War II]], because the Volz family was to be forcibly "repatriated" to Germany following the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]], the firm was sold to the stone-carving firm of Oto Dambekalns.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=111-121}}
Volz established himself in Riga at a time of great economic expansion of the old [[Hanseatic league|Hanseatic town]], which was a major port of the Russian Empire. During the years around the turn of the 19th–20th centuries Riga experienced an unprecedented building activity. At the same time, a professional cadre of local sculptors had not yet formed. Volz' workshop could therefore operate without serious competition, and developed into a large and profitable enterprise.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=81}} The firm eventually grew to employ about 130 people in the time around 1910, and had already in 1890 employed 40 people.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=153}} Following the death of August Volz in 1926, his widow Olga continued operating the firm with great skill and energy. On the eve of [[World War II]], because the Volz family was to be forcibly "repatriated" to Germany following the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]], the firm was sold to the stone-carving firm of Oto Dambekalns.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=111–121}}


===Style and scope===
===Style and scope===
Stylistically, August Volz had been trained in the classical tradition of the [[Academic art]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=227}} Although his firm took on commissions ranging from simple structural elements such as stairs and columns to facades and interiors, portraits, memorial plaques and [[relief]]s, Volz' arguably finest works were freestanding [[sculpture|sculpture in the round]] in the form of free-standing monuments or architectural decoration.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=227}} A question of dispute is how much the workshop of Volz contributed to providing sculptural elements for the extraordinary flowering of [[Art Nouveau architecture in Riga]]. Archival documentation is lacking, and while several sculptures e.g. on the expressive buildings on [[Alberta iela]] display characteristics which could certainly link them to the workshop of Volz, it is also known that August Volz himself was dismissive of [[Art Nouveau]] as a style.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=159}} It is however known that Volz supplied the sculptural elements of the highly Art Nouveau buildings by [[Jacques Rosenbaum]] in neighbouring [[Tallinn]].{{sfn|Hallas-Murula|2010|p=113}}
Stylistically, August Volz had been trained in the classical tradition of the [[Academic art]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=227}} Although his firm took on commissions ranging from simple structural elements such as stairs and columns to facades and interiors, portraits, memorial plaques and [[relief]]s, Volz' arguably finest works were freestanding [[sculpture|sculpture in the round]] in the form of free-standing monuments or architectural decoration.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=227}} A question of dispute is how much the workshop of Volz contributed to providing sculptural elements for the extraordinary flowering of [[Art Nouveau architecture in Riga]]. Archival documentation is lacking, and while several sculptures e.g. on the expressive buildings on [[Alberta iela]] display characteristics which could certainly link them to the workshop of Volz, it is also known that August Volz himself was dismissive of [[Art Nouveau]] as a style.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=159}} It is however known that Volz supplied the sculptural elements of the highly Art Nouveau buildings by [[Jacques Rosenbaum]] in neighbouring [[Tallinn]],{{sfn|Hallas-Murula|2010|p=113}} and for at least some Art Nouveau buildings in Riga.{{sfn|Krastins|2014|pp=34, 51, 69, 164}}


==Works==
==Works==
===Public buildings===
===Public buildings===
One of the first prestigious commissions given to Volz was the decoration of the [[Nativity Cathedral, Riga|Nativity Cathedral]], designed by architect {{ill|Roberts Pflūgs|lv|Robert Pflug}} in a [[Byzantine Revival architecture|Byzantine Revival style]] and built 18876–1884; it is the largest [[Russian Orthodox Church]] in the [[Baltic states]]. Volz' company subsequently participated in the decoration of an additional two churches in Riga.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=143-145}}
One of the first prestigious commissions given to Volz was the decoration of the [[Nativity Cathedral, Riga|Nativity Cathedral]], designed by architect [[Robert Pflug]] in a [[Byzantine Revival architecture|Byzantine Revival style]] and built in 1876–1884; it is the largest [[Russian Orthodox Church]] in the [[Baltic states]]. Volz' company subsequently participated in the decoration of an additional two churches in Riga.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=143–145}}


One of Riga's most iconic buildings, the [[House of the Blackheads (Riga)|House of the Blackheads]], underwent a significant alteration to designs by architect [[Heinrich Scheel]] in 1886 and Volz was responsible for the extensive sculptural decoration. The facade had already in the 17th century been decorated with four ''[[trompe-l'œil]]'' paintings depicting four allegorical figures, and Volz thus created four sculptures representing the same deities: [[Hermes]], [[Poseidon]], Peace and Harmony, which each stand in a niche prominently displayed at the centre of the facade. Volz would continue to create sculptures for the House of the Blackheads but it remains unclear exactly which sculptures were made in his workshop; it has been assumed that the ''[[Saint George and the Dragon]]'' on the corner of the building as well as the two lions at the entrance are from the workshop of Volz.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=161-165}}
One of Riga's most iconic buildings, the [[House of the Blackheads (Riga)|House of the Blackheads]], underwent a significant alteration to designs by architect [[Heinrich Scheel]] in 1886 and Volz was responsible for the extensive sculptural decoration. The facade had already in the 17th century been decorated with four ''[[trompe-l'œil]]'' paintings depicting four allegorical figures, and Volz thus created four sculptures representing the same deities: [[Hermes]], [[Poseidon]], Peace and Harmony, which each stand in a niche prominently displayed at the centre of the facade. Volz would continue to create sculptures for the House of the Blackheads but it remains unclear exactly which sculptures were made in his workshop; it has been assumed that the ''[[Saint George and the Dragon]]'' on the corner of the building as well as the two lions at the entrance are from the workshop of Volz.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=161–165}}


Volz' firm was also took active part in supplying decorations for both the present-day [[Latvian National Opera]] and the [[Latvian National Theatre]]. The entirety of the interior decoration for the opera was entrusted to Volz,{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=187}} while for the theatre the firm of Volz supplied the [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas figures]] flanking the entrance while the interior decoration was entrusted to the firm [[Otto & Wassil]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=215}}
Volz' firm also took active part in supplying decorations for both the present-day [[Latvian National Opera]] and the [[Latvian National Theatre]]. The entirety of the interior decoration for the opera was entrusted to Volz,{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=187}} while for the theatre the firm of Volz supplied the [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas figures]] flanking the entrance while the interior decoration was entrusted to the firm [[Otto & Wassil]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=215}}


Volz workshop also supplied the sculpture group adorning the pediment of the present-day [[Latvian National Museum of Art]] in 1903. It depicts the Greek goddess [[Athena]] surrounded by allegorical figures representing civic and artistic traits.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=207}} The present-day [[Art Academy of Latvia]] (built as a commercial school) also has [[Capital (architecture)|capitals]] designed by Volz in a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Neo-Gothic style]], as well as [[relief]]s and other forms of sculptural decoration.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=213}}
Volz workshop also supplied the sculpture group adorning the pediment of the present-day [[Latvian National Museum of Art]] in 1903. It depicts the Greek goddess [[Athena]] surrounded by allegorical figures representing civic and artistic traits.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=207}} The present-day [[Art Academy of Latvia]] (built as a commercial school) also has [[Capital (architecture)|capitals]] designed by Volz in a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Neo-Gothic style]], as well as [[relief]]s and other forms of sculptural decoration.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=213}}


Volz' workshop also provided sculptures for the building of the present-day [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Latvia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], originally built as a bank.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=219}}
Volz' workshop also provided sculptures for the building of the present-day [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Latvia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], originally built as a bank.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=219}} In addition, Volz provided sculptures and decorations for schools, factories, banks and monumental tenement houses in Riga.

In addition, Volz provided sculptures and decorations for schools, factories, banks and monumental tenement houses in Riga.


===Monuments===
===Monuments===
Volz designed the [[Roland (statue)|Roland statue]] on the square in front of the House of the Blackheads in 1894. The presently visible statue is a copy (as are the statues on the House of the Blackheads, which was severely damaged during World War II and later destroyed during the [[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet occupation of Latvia]]) but the original, damaged statue remains preserved in [[St. Peter's Church, Riga|St. Peter's Church]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=167-171}}
Volz made the {{illm|Riga Roland|lv|Rolanda statuja (Vecrīga)|lt=Roland statue}} on the Town Hall Square ({{lang|lv|Rātslaukums}}) in front of the House of the Blackheads in 1894. The original statue was severely damaged during World War II and later moved out during the [[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet occupation of Latvia]], it was partially fixed by Estonian sculptor Marija Ehelaide in 1970 and transferred to [[St. Peter's Church, Riga|St. Peter's Church]] in 1984.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=167–171}} A copy of the statue is made by Edvīns Krūmiņš, and placed at the original position in 1999.


In 1888 a fountain designed and executed by Volz' company was placed in front of the Latvian National Opera. It draws on [[Baroque]] ideas and represents a [[nymph]] surrounded by young boys and dolphins. Like the Roland statue, the fountain was in connection to World War II and restored in 1987 by [[Mirdza Lukaža]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=189}}
In 1888 a fountain designed and executed by Volz' company was placed in front of the Latvian National Opera. It draws on [[Baroque]] ideas and represents a [[nymph]] surrounded by young boys and dolphins. Like the Roland statue, the fountain was damaged during World War II and restored in 1987 by [[Mirdza Lukaža]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=189}}


The workshop of Volz also designed a similar statue of a knight for the Bastejkalns park and sculptures of lions in the [[Vērmanes Garden]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=173}}
The workshop of Volz also designed a similar statue of a knight for the Bastejkalns park (destroyed) and sculptures of lions in the [[Vērmanes Garden]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=173}}


===Works outside Riga===
===Works outside Riga===
While Volz' company was mostly active in Riga, the firm did take on some commissions outside the city limits. The company provided decorations and sculptures for no less than nine [[List of palaces and manor houses in Latvia|manor houses on the Latvian countryside]]; most of these have however been destroyed or damaged during the violent 20th century.{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=249-523}}
While Volz' company was mostly active in Riga, the firm did take on some commissions outside the city limits. The company provided decorations and sculptures for no less than nine [[List of palaces and manor houses in Latvia|manor houses in the Latvian countryside]]; most of these have however been destroyed or damaged during the violent 20th century.{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=249–523}}


The company also supplied sculptures for some buildings in Tallinn (present-day capital of Estonia), notably buildings by architect Jacques Rosenbaum and reliefs for the [[Estonian Drama Theatre]]. The company also provided sculptures for the Hludov baths in [[Moscow]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|p=253-265}}
The company also supplied sculptures for some buildings in Tallinn (present-day capital of Estonia), notably buildings by architect Jacques Rosenbaum and reliefs for the [[Estonian Drama Theatre]]. The company also provided sculptures for the Hludov baths in [[Moscow]].{{sfn|Appena|2012|pp=253–265}}

At least one other Baltic German sculptor, [[Karl Hans Bernewitz]], was initially taught by Volz.<ref name=Bernewitz>{{cite book |last= Neumann|first= Wilhelm|author-link= |date= 1908|title= Lexikon baltischer Künstler|url= https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/view/bsb00000354?page=21|location= [[Riga]]|publisher= Jonck & Poliewsky|pages= 11–12|language=German|oclc=23573969}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 52: Line 72:


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last= Appena|first= Ināra|date= 2012|title= Augusts Volz, Sculptor of Riga|url= |location= Riga|publisher= Neputns|page= |isbn=978-9984-807-86-7|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last= Appena|first= Ināra|date= 2012|title= Augusts Volz, Sculptor of Riga|location= Riga|publisher= Neputns|isbn=978-9984-807-86-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Hallas-Murula|first=Karin|title=Tallinna Juugendarhitektuur: Jacques Rosenbaum (1878-1944)|language=|publisher=Eesti Arhitektuurimuuseum|year=2010|page=|isbn=978-9985-9828-7-7|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last=Hallas-Murula|first=Karin|title=Tallinna Juugendarhitektuur: Jacques Rosenbaum (1878–1944)|publisher=Eesti Arhitektuurimuuseum|year=2010|isbn=978-9985-9828-7-7}}
*{{cite book |last= Krastins|first= Janis|date= 2014|title= Art Nouveau buildings in Riga|edition=3rd|location= Riga|publisher= ADD PROJEKTS|isbn=978-9934-8318-2-9}}


==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Volz, August}}
[[Category:1851 births]]
[[Category:1926 deaths]]
[[Category:Artists from Magdeburg]]
[[Category:Artists from the Province of Saxony]]
[[Category:Latvian sculptors]]
[[Category:Latvian sculptors]]
[[Category:19th-century German sculptors]]
[[Category:19th-century German sculptors]]
[[Category:20th-century German sculptors]]
[[Category:20th-century German sculptors]]
[[Category:1851 births]]
[[Category:20th-century German male artists]]
[[Category:1926 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Latvian artists]]
[[Category:People from Magdeburg]]
[[Category:19th-century Latvian artists]]
[[Category:Prussian Academy of Arts alumni]]

Latest revision as of 20:10, 21 October 2024

August Volz
Volz in early 1900s
Born
August Franz Leberecht Volz

(1851-02-27)27 February 1851
Magdeburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Died20 June 1926(1926-06-20) (aged 75)
Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire (present-day Riga, Latvia)
NationalityGerman
Known forSculpting
The original statue of Roland by Volz (damaged during World War II). A copy stands on the square outside the House of the Blackheads.
The fountain in front of the Latvian National Opera. Volz designed both the fountain and the interiors of the opera house.

August Franz Leberecht Volz (Latvian: Augusts Francs Folcs; 27 February 1851 – 20 June 1926) was a German sculptor. Born in Magdeburg, Volz worked mainly in Riga, the present-day capital of Latvia. The workshop of Volz received prestigious commissions in Riga from its opening in 1876 and created several of the most well-known sculptures of the city, for example the Roland statue and sculptures decorating the House of the Blackheads. The firm of Volz was also responsible for the complete or partial decoration of a number of important public buildings in the city.

Biography

[edit]

August Franz Leberecht Volz was born as the eleventh child of shoemaker Johann Volz and his wife Johanne, née Morin,[1] in Magdeburg. He received his basic education in the city and began an apprenticeship at a sculptor's workshop in Magdeburg at the age of 1865. In the spring of 1869 he moved to Berlin, where he initially worked in a sculptor's workshop and from autumn studied sculpting at the Prussian Academy of Arts under the tutelage of Eduard Holbein [de], Carl Domschke, Friedrich Eggers and Karl Geppert. In 1870, at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Volz tried to join the military but was refused, the first time because he was underage and the second time because there were already too many volunteers.[2]

Throughout his studies, Volz had been working at different workshops. In October 1871, Volz ceased his studies at the academy and began to work full-time for the firm Ende & Böckmann. The firm also took on commissions abroad, and it was through Ende & Böckmann that Volz came to Riga in the autumn of 1875 to work on the sculptural decoration of a large tenement house (on the present-day address Krišjāņa Barona iela 12). Already on 2 January 1876 he established his own firm in Riga.[2] Riga had at that time a large Baltic German population.[3] In addition to his own work as a sculptor, Volz taught at the Art Academy of Riga after its establishment in 1906.[4][1]

Volz married his first wife Maria, née Thurm, in 1876. The couple had seven children, of which two died before World War I.[5] Maria died in 1909 and in 1911 Volz married his second wife, Olga, née Kalning.[1] The couple had one son.[6]

Volz spent the rest of his life in Riga apart from the years of World War I, when he and his family were obliged to go into exile in the small town of Tsivilsk. This was because Volz had retained his German citizenship and the Russian Empire and Germany were at war. In Tsivilsk the family rented a room from the town's notary and were treated civilly by the authorities. His home in Riga, meanwhile, was used by both Russian officers and later Germans but kept intact and after his return in 1917 only his collection of hunting rifles were missing.[7]

Volz died in Riga in 1926. His descendants live in Germany. A memorial plaque was put up in 1996 at the site where Volz' workshop was located for many years on the present-day address Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 31.[8]

Workshop and firm

[edit]

Volz established himself in Riga at a time of great economic expansion of the old Hanseatic town, which was a major port of the Russian Empire. During the years around the turn of the 19th–20th centuries Riga experienced an unprecedented building activity. At the same time, a professional cadre of local sculptors had not yet formed. Volz' workshop could therefore operate without serious competition, and developed into a large and profitable enterprise.[9] The firm eventually grew to employ about 130 people in the time around 1910, and had already in 1890 employed 40 people.[10] Following the death of August Volz in 1926, his widow Olga continued operating the firm with great skill and energy. On the eve of World War II, because the Volz family was to be forcibly "repatriated" to Germany following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the firm was sold to the stone-carving firm of Oto Dambekalns.[11]

Style and scope

[edit]

Stylistically, August Volz had been trained in the classical tradition of the Academic art.[12] Although his firm took on commissions ranging from simple structural elements such as stairs and columns to facades and interiors, portraits, memorial plaques and reliefs, Volz' arguably finest works were freestanding sculpture in the round in the form of free-standing monuments or architectural decoration.[12] A question of dispute is how much the workshop of Volz contributed to providing sculptural elements for the extraordinary flowering of Art Nouveau architecture in Riga. Archival documentation is lacking, and while several sculptures e.g. on the expressive buildings on Alberta iela display characteristics which could certainly link them to the workshop of Volz, it is also known that August Volz himself was dismissive of Art Nouveau as a style.[13] It is however known that Volz supplied the sculptural elements of the highly Art Nouveau buildings by Jacques Rosenbaum in neighbouring Tallinn,[14] and for at least some Art Nouveau buildings in Riga.[15]

Works

[edit]

Public buildings

[edit]

One of the first prestigious commissions given to Volz was the decoration of the Nativity Cathedral, designed by architect Robert Pflug in a Byzantine Revival style and built in 1876–1884; it is the largest Russian Orthodox Church in the Baltic states. Volz' company subsequently participated in the decoration of an additional two churches in Riga.[16]

One of Riga's most iconic buildings, the House of the Blackheads, underwent a significant alteration to designs by architect Heinrich Scheel in 1886 and Volz was responsible for the extensive sculptural decoration. The facade had already in the 17th century been decorated with four trompe-l'œil paintings depicting four allegorical figures, and Volz thus created four sculptures representing the same deities: Hermes, Poseidon, Peace and Harmony, which each stand in a niche prominently displayed at the centre of the facade. Volz would continue to create sculptures for the House of the Blackheads but it remains unclear exactly which sculptures were made in his workshop; it has been assumed that the Saint George and the Dragon on the corner of the building as well as the two lions at the entrance are from the workshop of Volz.[17]

Volz' firm also took active part in supplying decorations for both the present-day Latvian National Opera and the Latvian National Theatre. The entirety of the interior decoration for the opera was entrusted to Volz,[18] while for the theatre the firm of Volz supplied the Atlas figures flanking the entrance while the interior decoration was entrusted to the firm Otto & Wassil.[19]

Volz workshop also supplied the sculpture group adorning the pediment of the present-day Latvian National Museum of Art in 1903. It depicts the Greek goddess Athena surrounded by allegorical figures representing civic and artistic traits.[20] The present-day Art Academy of Latvia (built as a commercial school) also has capitals designed by Volz in a Neo-Gothic style, as well as reliefs and other forms of sculptural decoration.[21]

Volz' workshop also provided sculptures for the building of the present-day Ministry of Foreign Affairs, originally built as a bank.[22] In addition, Volz provided sculptures and decorations for schools, factories, banks and monumental tenement houses in Riga.

Monuments

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Volz made the Roland statue [lv] on the Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums) in front of the House of the Blackheads in 1894. The original statue was severely damaged during World War II and later moved out during the Soviet occupation of Latvia, it was partially fixed by Estonian sculptor Marija Ehelaide in 1970 and transferred to St. Peter's Church in 1984.[23] A copy of the statue is made by Edvīns Krūmiņš, and placed at the original position in 1999.

In 1888 a fountain designed and executed by Volz' company was placed in front of the Latvian National Opera. It draws on Baroque ideas and represents a nymph surrounded by young boys and dolphins. Like the Roland statue, the fountain was damaged during World War II and restored in 1987 by Mirdza Lukaža.[24]

The workshop of Volz also designed a similar statue of a knight for the Bastejkalns park (destroyed) and sculptures of lions in the Vērmanes Garden.[25]

Works outside Riga

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While Volz' company was mostly active in Riga, the firm did take on some commissions outside the city limits. The company provided decorations and sculptures for no less than nine manor houses in the Latvian countryside; most of these have however been destroyed or damaged during the violent 20th century.[26]

The company also supplied sculptures for some buildings in Tallinn (present-day capital of Estonia), notably buildings by architect Jacques Rosenbaum and reliefs for the Estonian Drama Theatre. The company also provided sculptures for the Hludov baths in Moscow.[27]

At least one other Baltic German sculptor, Karl Hans Bernewitz, was initially taught by Volz.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Volz, August Franz Lehrecht" (in German). Baltisches Biographisches Lexikon. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b Appena 2012, pp. 13–69.
  3. ^ Appena 2012, p. 129.
  4. ^ Krastins 2014, p. 17.
  5. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 81–82.
  6. ^ Appena 2012, p. 91.
  7. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 95–105.
  8. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 95–121.
  9. ^ Appena 2012, p. 81.
  10. ^ Appena 2012, p. 153.
  11. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 111–121.
  12. ^ a b Appena 2012, p. 227.
  13. ^ Appena 2012, p. 159.
  14. ^ Hallas-Murula 2010, p. 113.
  15. ^ Krastins 2014, pp. 34, 51, 69, 164.
  16. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 143–145.
  17. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 161–165.
  18. ^ Appena 2012, p. 187.
  19. ^ Appena 2012, p. 215.
  20. ^ Appena 2012, p. 207.
  21. ^ Appena 2012, p. 213.
  22. ^ Appena 2012, p. 219.
  23. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 167–171.
  24. ^ Appena 2012, p. 189.
  25. ^ Appena 2012, p. 173.
  26. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 249–523.
  27. ^ Appena 2012, pp. 253–265.
  28. ^ Neumann, Wilhelm (1908). Lexikon baltischer Künstler (in German). Riga: Jonck & Poliewsky. pp. 11–12. OCLC 23573969.

Bibliography

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  • Appena, Ināra (2012). Augusts Volz, Sculptor of Riga. Riga: Neputns. ISBN 978-9984-807-86-7.
  • Hallas-Murula, Karin (2010). Tallinna Juugendarhitektuur: Jacques Rosenbaum (1878–1944). Eesti Arhitektuurimuuseum. ISBN 978-9985-9828-7-7.
  • Krastins, Janis (2014). Art Nouveau buildings in Riga (3rd ed.). Riga: ADD PROJEKTS. ISBN 978-9934-8318-2-9.
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Media related to August Volz at Wikimedia Commons

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