American Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture of “Wildflower” by Edward Berge

EDWARD BERGE
Baltimore, 1876-1924

"Wildflower"

Modeled in 1909, probably cast after 1924
Verdigris patinated bronze
Signed "BERGE" verso on base, foundry marked Roman Bronze Works N.Y. no. 12

41 1/4" H x 13" D x 15" W

Edward Henry Berge spent his long career as a sculptor working in Baltimore and has largely become regarded as one of Baltimore's most skilled realist sculptors of the 20th century. He was best known for naturalistic figural bronzes, particularly studies of children and youthful woodland figures. Wild Flower was among his most recognized compositions and was modeled in life size, medium, and small versions. The present example is a life-size cast.

The sculpture depicts a young girl standing barefoot on a naturalistic base, her body inclined slightly forward and her hands held outward at her sides. She is a child of nature, wearing a large flower as a cap on her head while the elongated positioning of her fingers and the plant forms rising from the base reinforce the botanical character of the composition. An expression of total peace with a hint of curiosity plays across her face.

Curator's note: The 1909 model of Wildflower was Edward Berge's most popular sculpture and was widely recognized and cherished after winning the gold medal at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California. Thereafter smaller reductions of the work were produced, first in a 20" dimension (1916) and finally in a 7" cabinet bronze dimension (1923). The records at Roman Bronze Works give us great insights into the production and sale of his models, which continued to be cast for the benefit of his widow by Roman Bronze Works and subsequently his family well after his death. Roman Bronze Works continued to cast from the original models until 1978.

References:
Amon Carter Museum, Roman Bronze Works Archives: Mrs. Edward Berge: Link
A Century of American Sculpture: The Roman Bronze Works Foundry, Lucy Rosenfeld, Schiffer, 2002, p. 266-267, ill. 267

Condition: Rubbing wear to verdigris patination throughout with more natural and chaotic patination. Some minor scuffs and paint marks here and there; presence of oxidization around the base. The stem of figure's hat has been repaired, perhaps to remove the piping for the model as a fountain.

ref. 605DBP05H