Marcel Wolfers (1886–1976) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, and

medallist A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...

, well known for his war memorials completed in the Interwar Period (1919–39).

Early life

Marcel Wolfers was born into a talented artistic family in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. His grandfather Louis Wolfers (1820–92) and father Philippe (1858-1929) were well-established

decorative art ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. It includes most of the arts making objects for the interiors of buildings, and interior design, but not usual ...

ists working in a variety of media, including

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

and metalwork as well as sculpture. By the turn of the century, Philippe had become one of the best-known Belgian decorative artists in the style called

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

, frequently collaborating with other prominent figures such as the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Victor Horta Victor Pierre Horta (; Victor, Baron Horta after 1932; 6 January 1861 – 8 September 1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, built in 1892–93, is often ...

. Marcel Wolfers matriculated to the

Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels (french: Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts - École supérieure des Arts de la Ville de Bruxelles (ARBA-ESA), nl, Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Brussel), is an art school established in Br ...

in Brussels, where he studied under the multitalented artist Isidore de Rudder (1855-1943), who had actually also trained his father. There Marcel became proficient in sculpture, mainly in ceramics but also in other materials such as metal and stone.

Career

Marcel Wolfers began his artistic career before World War I. He produced several works in 1908 and 1909. Early on, he showed most of his interest in ceramics and began experimenting with lacquers and their ability to produce brilliant colors. 1910, in connection with the Brussels Universal Exhibition he exhibited medals of considerable interest. At the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1914, when Belgium was invaded by the German armies, he joined the Belgian

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, eventually rising to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

. His exploits in combat brought him many honors and citations: he was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Couronne night of the Order of the Crownand received the Medal of Yser and the Belgian and French

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

, among other decorations. After the war, he was commissioned to collaborate with several architects on various war memorials, including the ''Monument aux Martyrs'' at

Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...

, the ''Monument aux Morts'' at Trazegnies, the ''Monument Guynemer'' at

Poelcapelle Langemark-Poelkapelle () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Geography Other places in the municipality include Bikschote, Langemark and Poelkapelle. On January 1, 2006, Langemark-Poelkapelle had a total populati ...

, and several others. Of these, probably the best known is ''La Baiser de la Victoire'' he Kiss of Victory(1923), which was installed initially on in the Parc Parmentier in Brussels but in the 1960s was removed a short distance away to the Cimetiere Woluwe de St-Pierre. The bluestone sculpture consists of a central standing bare-chested, unarmed male soldier being embraced and supported from behind by a cloaked woman. Above them to the right, a completely nude female winged figure—undoubtedly a symbol of Victory—contorts her body over the top of the soldier’s head, appearing to lean in to kiss the soldier. A smaller-scale reproduction in wood from 1925 is owned by The

Wolfsonian-FIU The Wolfsonian–Florida International University or The Wolfsonian-FIU, located in the heart of the Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida, is a museum, library and research center that uses its collection to illustrate the persuasive power of ...

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Honours

* 1934: Officer in the Order of the Crown.Royal order of 7.4.1934. File:LaqueMarcelWolfers3.jpg, lacquer with gold powder

Bibliography

* ''Wolfers Philippe et Marcel. De l'art nouveau à l'art déco.'' Brussels: Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire - Crédit communal de belgique, s.d.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfers, Marcel Belgian sculptors Artists from Brussels Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Belgian military personnel of World War I Belgian war artists Belgian architectural sculptors 1886 births 1976 deaths