MODERN SCULPTURE COLLECTION

FRED KORMIS
[1897-1986]

FRED KORMIS - Prisoners of War x 4, 1969-72:
In Stupor after Capture;
Longing for Freedom;
Fight against Gloom;
Hope Lost.
resin bronze, edition of 2 [2/2], all signed, 68 cm high
Provenance: The artist; Private collection, UK;
Christies auction, 16 July 2008, lot 71
Cast 1/2 is in the Imperial War Museum collection.
These are maquettes for a large public sculpture in Brent, London

FRED KORMIS

New Man
1922
bronze
[with marble base]
unique
signed
28 cm high
[including base 42 cm]
Provenance: Private collection
[Sculpted just after escaping from the POW camp in Siberia]

FRED KORMIS

Homage
c. 1966
bronze
signed
29 x 23 cm

FRED KORMIS

Nude
bronze
unique
signed
16 cm high

Fred [Fritz] Kormis was born in Frankfurt in 1897 and attended Frankfurt Art School.
When WW1 began he joined the Austrian army in 1914 and was wounded and captured by the Russians in 1915 and was sent to a Prisoner of War [POW] camp in Siberia.
He finally escaped in 1921 and after returning to Germany sculpted 'New Man' [above] in 1922.
He moved to the UK in 1934 to escape the Nazis and lived in London for the rest of his life.
His POW experiences influenced much of his later work, culminating in the 1969-72 POW public sculptures above.