Fritz Klimsch

The ‘Kleine Schauende’ was created by Klimsch in 1936 as a smaller-scale replica of the 1932 bronze ‘Schauende’ (cf. WVZ Braun 161). The sculptor designed the figure as a commissioned work for the new open-air swimming pool in Leverkusen. His client, Carl Duisberg, had been General Director of the Bayer Works in Leverkusen since 1912 and went down in history as a significant patron of the arts and sciences. The ‘Kleine Schauende’ is one of Klimsch’s most popular works. The posture is only slightly altered compared to the larger sculpture. The figure’s posture is balanced and serene, although the intricate composition of the intertwined limbs creates a slight tension. It is precisely this that gives the sculpture its appeal: the act of looking is integrated into a physicality that emphasises contemplation, not least because active and passive design features are in equilibrium.