Bronze Woman No. II

Thomas Schütte’s extremely varied body of work – which ranges from architecture to floral watercolors – includes a group of 18 female figures made of bronze, steel, and aluminum. All of the figures depict somewhat natural looking elements juxtaposed with abstract, fragmented, and seemingly melted parts. Schütte deliberately places these works within an art historical context. The naked female body is one of the most popular subjects; likewise, the casting process and use of bronze in particular are part of the traditional art canon.
Bronze Woman No. II is kneeling on top of a large Corten steel table with her upper body folded forward. The table functions as a pedestal, but its dimensions are more appropriate for a reclining figure. This makes it seem as if the woman is actively in motion – she is twisting and writhing in pain. In place of a head, an abstract mass with a rough structure contrasts the smoothed surface of the rest of the body. It is clear that the figure was not shaped with the intention of replicating a specific body, but instead arose from the combination, removal, and addition of masses. The Bronze Woman remains suspended between abstraction and expression.