Die Krähe / The Crow (schreitend) 27

Collection Sander

The crow is a recurring theme in the painted works of the Dutch artist Arie Van Selm – and it was the first of his motifs to be translated into a sculptural form. Working in bronze, and in a variety of sizes and colours, Van Selm produces two stylized variants of the crow – one of each can be seen in “Blickachsen 10”, in Bad Homburg and Darmstadt respectively. Jet black and over two metres high, “The Crow (striding)” reaches out in space, dominating its location in the Bad Homburg Kurpark. The clear lines and geometric form of the bird’s body are as characteristic of Van Selm’s bird sculptures as its smooth surface design, which gives no visible hint of plumage. The curved contour lines of this figure and the position of the wings re-inforce the impression of forward movement given by the bird’s stance. Van Selm is primarily interested in capturing artistically the crow’s striking form and bearing – yet his sculpture also references the historico-cultural significance of the black bird. To this day, the stories and myths which have grown up around the highly intelligent crow family all over the world still find their way into the fine arts, literature and film.