MAX BACHMANN
German/American, 1862-1921

Bas-Relief Portrait of Richard Wagner

Patinated bronze

10 5/8" H x 3/8" D x 10 5/8" W

A circular bronze portrait plaque of the composer Richard Wagner modeled in profile by Max Bachmann and cast in 1904 by the Henry Bonnard Bronze Co. of New York. The relief is signed MAX BACHMANN FECIT MCMIV, copyrighted 1904, foundry marked on the front and numbered Cast no. 10.

The Wagner model received contemporary notice almost immediately after its production. Reporting from the Henry Bonnard foundry on March 25, 1904, The New York Times specifically discussed Bachmann's portrait of Wagner, remarking on the unusual thinness and precision of the casting and the particularly sharp treatment of the hair. Although its surface was considered comparable in definition to lost wax work, the relief was produced by the technically demanding sand casting process used by Henry Bonnard as well as most foundries through the beginning of the 20th century. 

Condition: Fine condition, no observed flaws.

ref. C104901