
Call of the Earth (Ruf der Erde)
1933 · Etching
plate: 8 1/16 x 10 5/16" (20.5 x 26.2 cm); sheet: 12 11/16 x 15 13/16" (32.2 x 40.2 cm)
Museum of Modern Art

Georg Kolbe was a German sculptor who emerged as his generation's leading figure sculptor through a vigorous modernization of classical form. Working in a simplified, abstracted idiom comparable to Aristide Maillol, Kolbe stripped anatomical detail to essential volumes and gesture, creating bronzes that balance formal reduction with humanistic presence. His work represents a decisive move away from nineteenth-century naturalism toward a sculptural language rooted in structural clarity and monumental restraint.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago