New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-18
REINHOLD BEGASS WORh.
THE ARTIST WHO DESIGNED THE GREAT
MEMORIAL TO EMPEROR WILLIAM
RERIIN

Reinhold Begas the designer OF the Kaiser VIII
helm Denkmal which was recently dedicated IN
Berlin and described at the time In The Tribune Is
not the only Of his name who has cameo
distinction in artistic circles His father was a
gifted painter and his brother Oscar was also
painter OF recognized ability The architect ana
designer OF the great memorial wnich is no" anu
will be for many years the chief sho"piece Oh tue
German capital was born In Berlin. July 10. ls5l
and became 4 student in the academy OF thdt Ci'y
in 1916 and remained there until ISL.
His first great work was group entitled Hagar
and Ishmae" and artists who saw 1t said that II
showed that his talent was Of a different cnhr-
acter from that OF his tutor. Rauch. ana this
opinion became general when he showed his group
Psyche and Amor" in 1856. With view 10 IN
creasing his store Of knowledge he went 10 Rome
in 1857 and became a student OF ancient and mod
ern works in company with Feuerbach Bokhn,
Lenbach and others Of that class The result o.
his studies and his work IN Rome was SHOWN IN
his Pan Consoling Psyche" which was completeu
in 1858 and a heroic group representing "Borussa
Protecting Commerce. Agriculture and the Ar's'
which was placed in the Eocrse at Berlin
Begas was chosen Instructor In the Weimar ATT
School I'm 1861 but served IN that capacity only a
short time and then upon entering once more lh'o
active work in his profession became competitor
in the international contest for the Berlin ocH''1'
monument. After long and stubborn artstic con-
troyersy his plans accepted as the ihOs'
worthy and the monument which was unveiled IN
ISL justified the expectations Of his friends ana
the decision Of the judges. In the mean time
number OF groups ard figures had been produccu
in ReinhOld Begass studio all OF which attracted
much attention and showed continued improve
nent Early IN the seventies he began TO devote
time to new subjects. and one OF his biographers
says that his figures became less ideal and more
llfelke His chief works OF this period were
mo
palm tree and the fountain in the Schloss court III
Berlin with figures CT Neptune. centaurs' her-
maids and gods.
Soon after these works were completed he mace
the statue Of Wealth for the Reichsbank Berlin
and then A heroic Borussia and two herculean ng-
ures representing Strength and the Science OF W r
for the Arsenal. With these he estaolshcu rtpu-
tation ior thoroughness and fertile Imagination
Many art critics believe that the stfOHs p"tSo,l-
atty and individuality Of the man are most ciearIy
shown In his portrait busts. among Wnch me
most notable those Of the Empress fIeNerio"'
Countess Bismarck and Moltke.
In the competition Tor the Denkmal honors many
artists of Acknowledged superiority submitted
plans and when the award was made 20 Relnhoi9
Begas II was we'll known that the selection w?uIo
not only guarantee fitting memorial, Out ina.
the German Emperor. who was the prime mover
in the enterprise would be- highly pleased.
Berlin critic says: Coming generations VIII De
called upon 10 render the verdict as 10 the worth
OF the memorial but We know II TO be the greatest
CT cation OF the greatest masters or the age