Mantorso at the Middelheim Museum

myminifactory

George Minne (Georges Minne) was a renowned Belgian sculptor and artist born on August 30, 1866. His life's work revolved around capturing the complexities of humanity's inner spiritual struggles in his art. As a contemporary of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, Minne's style closely aligned with that of the Viennese Secessionists, the pioneers of Art Nouveau. Born in Ghent, Belgium to architect Fredericus Augustus Minne, George began studying painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1879. He later transferred to the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels from 1885 to 1889. In 1891, Minne was elected a member of the arts group Les XX. His first visit to Paris in 1886 led him to meet writers Maurice Maeterlinck and Gregore Le Roy, who introduced him to the French Symbolists. Returning to Paris in 1890, Minne sought permission from Auguste Rodin to work in his studio; however, Rodin replied, "I have nothing to teach you." In 1892, Minne married Josephine Destanberg, a poet's daughter from Ghent. Throughout his life, Minne dedicated most of his time to drawing and sculpting. He established his own bronze foundry in 1910-14 in Ghent, which was managed by his son during World War I. During the war, he fled to Wales but returned after it ended. Post-war, he taught drawing and continued creating art. Minne's most notable works include the "Kneeling Youth" series of sculptures, featuring "The Fountain of Kneeling Youths," a bronze-cast fountain in his hometown of Ghent, with marble originals housed at the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany. Other significant pieces include the pair of "Kneeling Youths" at the Neue Galerie in New York City and the plaster of "Kneeling Youth" (1898) acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. The Neue Galerie's "Kneeling Youth" sculptures were previously owned by Adele Bloch-Bauer and her husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. After being confiscated by the Nazis, they were eventually returned to Bloch-Bauer's niece Maria Altmann through extensive restitution efforts and acquired by the museum. For his contributions, Minne was made a baron on April 25, 1931. Minne also created a sculpture of the Sacred Heart for the altar in the apse of the Basilica of Koekelberg, as well as the bronze calvarie outside the basilica. This digital archive object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative by MyMiniFactory that aims to create a global digital archive of 3D printable sculptures and artworks for free public access.