Herbert Geldhof, Owl, Terracotta, Modernist Animal Sculpture

Herbert Geldhof (1929–2007), Owl, original terracotta.
Signed “H. J. Geldhof” at the base of the sculpture.
Circa 1960.

This owl or Eurasian eagle-owl facing left (Grand Duc), is an original terracotta sculpture by the Belgian artist Herbert Geldhof. A bronze cast of this model is also known.

Herbert Geldhof (known under the pseudonym Herbert) was a Belgian artist, comic book illustrator, painter, and sculptor. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai. Early in his career, he worked as a comic artist and spent some time in Africa during the 1950s. He illustrated stories for Oncle Paul and created series such as Simba Lee, Diégo and Doctor Gladstone.

From the 1970s onwards, Herbert devoted himself entirely to painting and sculpture. As an animalier and figurative artist, he became known for his sculptures of animals and human figures, which were exhibited in numerous exhibitions throughout Belgium.

His body of work mainly features birds of prey, felines, and exotic mammals. He worked with materials including terracotta, plaster, natural stone (direct carving), and bronze. In 1974, he was awarded the Sculpture Prize and the Parcours d’Artistes Prize in Saint-Gilles for his sculpture Canard, carved in white stone.