The bronze sculpture “Figure 101” by Dietrich Klinge is a maquette, a small-format model that serves as a preliminary study for the later larger sculpture “Design for a Large Sculpture I”. This preliminary stage allows the artist to explore his ideas in a more accessible format. Although the figure measures only a fraction of the final size, the work is already finalised in terms of expression and content.



“Figure 101” shows a profound connection between form and symbolism. The bulbous-looking substructure of the figure allows associations of growth and vitality. The form can be interpreted as a symbol of fertility and life and refers to the female figure as the source of creation and origin.

Dietrich Klinge merges the aesthetics of the nude with his archaic formal language. The abstract representation of the female figure is emphasised by the sculptural mass of the bronze material in order to make the physical presence of the conceptual and symbolic content visible. This combination of robustness and aesthetics reflects a philosophical examination of the female form that goes beyond pure beauty and points to the fundamental role of women in human existence.