Die Häßliche grüßt die Schöne (I und II) und Der Krieger / The Ugly Woman Greets the Beautiful Woman (I and II) and The Warrior

Three sculptures by Markus Lüpertz have been grouped in an ensemble in the Cour d’honneur of Bensberg Castle, which now houses a grand hotel. The idea was to add a contemporary accent to the historic ambience of the Schlosshotel which is echoed in the modern graphic art decorating the interior of the hotel.

They are two variations of “Die Hässliche grüßt die Schöne,” placed at the end of the tree-lined avenue. Both show a female figure rising from an amorphous pedestal. The mask-like faces of the figures are clearly recognisable, while their torsos and extremities appear shaped to different degrees in the artist’s expressive style.

The third figure is a fallen warrior lying on a pedestal and apparently propping himself up on his helmet or shield to rise. This figure, too, evolves from unshaped clay to become progressively more realistic, while raw traces of workmanship add expressiveness.

All three sculptures were created in the late 1980s and early 1990s and were produced in several casts. In 2000 the three works, now grouped as an ensemble, were installed at Castle Bensberg.