EDWARD BERGE
United States, 1876-1924

"Undine" (1914), also called "At Water's Edge"

Signed verso "E. Berge (c) 1914" and engraved "ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N.Y." to rear edge
Verdigris patinated bronze with copper tubing to the underside
Conceived 1914, cast before 1932

18" H x 18" diameter

Designed as a fountain center, Undine depicts a young girl seated along the rocky margin of a shallow pool, leaning forward toward three fish emerging through the modeled surface of the water. The fish spit water up at the young girl, integrating the movement of water directly into the composition such that she would be almost completely bathed in the water continually. The model has also been catalogued under various nomenclature, but Berge's original title was "Undine" and was used by him in describing the model in his Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts exhibit of the sculpture in 1915. 

Berge became especially known for these imaginative nostalgic glimpses of childhood with fountains incorporated - not as an afterthought or marketing niche, but rather as a core element of the intermingling of the figure with nature. Contemporary writing surrounding the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition singled out Berge alongside Janet Scudder and Anna Coleman Ladd for the lyrical quality of his garden figures, sundials and miniature fountains. This particular sculpture is handled with the quiet naturalism characteristic of this aspect of his work: with the compact figure of the young child is closely integrated into the irregular rocky basin, almost one with the rock as she appears fully engaged with the trio of visiting fish. 

Roman Bronze Works, founded in New York by Riccardo Bertelli, was among the principal American fine art foundries of the early twentieth century and specialized in lost wax casting. Its surviving archive at the Amon Carter Museum records an extensive relationship with Berge and the continued casting of a number of his models for the benefit of Berge's widow. The present model is recorded in their archives as being cast for only a few years after his death until around 1932 while other models sculpted by Berge continued to be cast well into the second half of the 20th century.

Edward Henry Berge was born in Baltimore in 1876. He trained at the Maryland Institute and its Rinehart School of Sculpture and was a member of the school's first class. Berge received a Rinehart Fellowship that enabled further study in Paris, where his training included work under Raoul Verlet and experience in the studio of Auguste Rodin. After returning to Baltimore he established himself as one of the city's principal sculptors and later taught at the Maryland Institute.

His career encompassed monumental public sculpture, portraiture, memorials and smaller bronzes intended for gardens and fountains. Among his Baltimore commissions were the Colonel George Armistead monument at Fort McHenry, the Chapin A. Harris monument and On the Trail. His Muse Finding the Head of Orpheus is preserved at the Walters Art Museum. Berge was also well represented at the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915, where Wildflower and Muse Finding the Head of Orpheus were among his exhibited works. He remained active in Baltimore until his death in 1924.

Condition: Chaotic old verdigris patina, likely original and supplemented by outdoor or fountain use. Carefully cleaned and sealed in conservator's wax. A very fine presentation. Trace fissures in the casting (not flaws, simply casting imperfections). Lead present on tips of fish mouths. Piping bent upwards so that the sculpture can sit comfortably on a table. Copper tubing for the fountain has not been pressure tested - we can perform this upon request if you plan to use it as a fountain. Otherwise ready to place.

Reference:
Client card for Mrs. Edward Berge, Roman Bronze Works, Amon Carter Museum Archives, PDF: Link
Christie's, New York, 27 September 2004, lot 45, "At Water's Edge", 18" model, achieved $ 9,560 USD: Link

ref. 605RLS05D