Morning Spirit
by WENTZINGER, Johann Christian, Terracotta, painted, height 82 cm
This is one of the figures from the Mount of Olives Wentzinger made in 1745 for the church at Staufen. They seem, as large-scale, free-standing models, like preliminary versions of a composition, while at the same time displaying the sure touch of the virtuoso sculptor in the handling of the material. Not only are the inner emotions vividly represented in the figures, but the colouring creates an almost crude naturalism.