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Max Kalish (Polish, 1891–1945)
LOT ID: 67181
The Digger, 1935

Bronze
13.5 х 15.5 in. cm.
Signed, and stamped on the base (incised)
Foundry/Publisher Meroni Radice ed.
Lot description
Echoing the physicality of a classical Greek sculpture, Max Kalish’s dynamic rendering of a digger suggests the power and pride Kalish associates with the American laborer. Hard at work, independent, and seeming to derive pleasure from his task, the muscular figure is portrayed here with his head held high. Composed in bronze, the digger’s strength and resolve are further reinforced by the durable material.

Observing the workers in his hometown of Cleveland, OH at the end of World War I, Max Kalish (1891-1945) produced figural sculptures that celebrate the strength and resilience of the American laborer. Kalish studied sculpture under Herman Matzen at the Cleveland School of Art and Herbert Adams at the National Academy of Design, New York, NY before travelling to Paris in 1912 to work and study at the Academie Colorossi and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Upon returning to the United States, kalish joined the Army Medical Corps. After the war, Kalish focused his sculptural work on portraying the American worker. His work earned him numerous honors and in 1927 he was commissioned to create the large sculpture of Abraham Lincoln for the city of Cleveland. His work is held in the public collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
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  • Max Kalish

    Working man
    bronze w/brown patina
    (H 15.2, W 0) in.
    (38.7 x 0) cm.
    Sold for: US$32,500
    Thursday, March 01, 2012
    Christie's New York
    Lot 00171
  • Max Kalish

    The digger
    bronze w/greenish black patina
    (H 13.5, W 0) in.
    (34.4 x 0) cm.
    Sold for: US$26,250
    Wednesday, September 28, 2011
    Sotheby's New York
    Lot 00350
  • Max Kalish

    Steel into the skies
    patinated bronze
    (H 19.3, W 0) in.
    (48.9 x 0) cm.
    Sold for: US$50,000
    Tuesday, September 27, 2011
    Christie's New York
    Lot 00022

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