Mutter Erde

The monumental bronze sculpture Mutter Erde [Mother Earth] by German sculptor Thomas Schütte evokes a mythical queen or a fairy-tale character. It is nonetheless based on a small figurine found in king cakes, greatly enlarged. 

It is the only so-called “en pied” female figure (fully depicted standing from head to toe) in the artist’s oeuvre, serving as a counterpart to an earlier male sculpture, titled Vater Staat [Father State or Fatherland] (2010), which depicts a male authority figure constrained by clothing and rope. The technical tour de force of these two archetypal sculptures lies in the contrast between their frontal, massive appearance and the astonishing lightness that emerges when viewed from the side. The thick elbow pads, the folds of Mutter Erde’s robe, and her tiara reveal ever-changing facets depending on the viewer’s perspective. Mutter Erde, with all the symbolic significance her name conveys, appears to be a protector, while also embodying a form of authority.