Stephan Balkenhol Bronze Sculpture Mr Doubledream Bear Head Gold Hands

This bronze sculpture, Mr Doubledream, exemplifies the distinctive figurative language of Stephan Balkenhol, one of the most influential figures in contemporary German sculpture. The work presents a standing male figure surmounted by a bear’s head, a recurring strategy in Balkenhol’s practice in which human and animal forms merge to evoke archetype, alter ego, and psychological duality.

Balkenhol’s sculptural vocabulary is deliberately restrained: frontal stance, neutral posture, and simplified anatomy recall both medieval statuary and folk carving traditions, while the hybrid subject resists narrative specificity. Rather than illustration, the figure functions as a conceptual presence—open to interpretation and projection. The bear, traditionally associated with strength, instinct, and introspection, introduces an animalistic counterpoint to the rationalized human body, reinforcing the artist’s ongoing investigation into identity and inner consciousness.

Cast in bronze with a deep, dark patina, the sculpture is further distinguished by gold-toned hands, a subtle but deliberate intervention that heightens the symbolic role of gesture and touch. The figure stands on a separate dark base, lending formal autonomy and architectural clarity to the work. A Christie’s auction house label affixed to the base, bearing the artist’s name, documents its appearance within the international secondary market and underscores its collectability.

Balkenhol’s works are held in major public collections and have been widely exhibited throughout Europe and internationally. Sculptures of this scale are particularly valued for private collections, offering both conceptual rigor and an intimate physical presence suitable for residential or curated environments.

Details

• Artist: Stephan Balkenhol (German, b. 1957)

• Title: Mr Doubledream

• Medium: Bronze with patinated surface and gilt-toned hands

• Height: 39 cm (15.35 in)

• Width: 13 cm (5.12 in)

• Depth: 10 cm (3.94 in)

• Weight: Approx. 5.4 kg

• Base: Separate dark base

• Condition: Very good

• Provenance: Christie’s (label affixed)