Aurora, 1926
ArtistArno Breker,
Elberfeld
1900–1991
Düsseldorf
Shell limestone
Status
on displayAccessionAcquisition 1926
Provenance1926 entstanden anlässlich der Errichtung des GebäudesInventory number0.2023.30
Contact
sammlung@kunstpalast.de
About the workThe first rays of sunlight awaken the sleeping Aurora, goddess of the dawn, on the roof of the Kunstpalast. The sculpture was realised during the construction of the Ehrenhof complex for the "Great Exhibition for Public Health, Social Welfare and Physical Exercise" (shortened in German to GeSoLei) in 1926. The architect Wilhelm Kreis believed that this awakening woman embodied human beings growing stronger through healthy living. He commissioned his Düsseldorf Art Academy student Arno Breker to create this work. Under National Socialism, the sculptor became a leading artist in their regime of terror.