The Tuttlingen-based sculptor Roland Martin, with his figurative sculptures, is regarded as one of the leading figures in post-1945 metal sculpture in south-western Germany. The depiction of the human figure lies at the heart of his sculptural work.
In the foyer outside the citizens' hall of the city hall, the personification of grace greets us in the form of a free-standing female nude. This allegory of youth and beauty draws on a rich tradition and classical figurative form. Gently flowing contours, the dynamic sweep of the body’s axis and slender proportions characterise the figure’s captivating expression. However, academic convention is subverted by bold distortions of the anatomy, such as unnaturally elongated limbs and exaggerated volumes.
The over-emphasis on the centre of the body symbolically alludes to femininity and fertility. Vitality and tension are created by the restlessly modelled surfaces, which in turn make the process of form-finding during the clay model stage visible and tangible. Harmony, tranquillity and balance define the work’s overall impact. With his creation of ‘Grace’, Martin carried the long tradition of figurative-allegorical sculpture into the 1960s, combining classicism with modernity.
The bronze sculpture by Roland Martin came into the possession of the City Art Collection through a donation by Dr Hans Constantin Paulssen (1892–1984), the former Director-General of the Aluminium Rolling Mills and, since 1955, an honorary citizen of the city of Singen. The cubic fountain blocks in the green space on the north side of Singen City Hall, dating from 1969, are also by Roland Martin.
Text and editing: Kunstmuseum Singen
