Paul Wynand


Paul Wynand was a German sculptor, medalist, and professor, active in the National Socialist era.

Life

Born in Elberfeld, Wynand first completed his studies at the School of Applied Arts in Berlin. From 1900 he studied briefly under Auguste Rodin in Paris.
From 1901 he was a lecturer at the School of Applied Arts in Elberfeld. He worked on the coat of arms on the outer wall of the Council Chamber of Bochum. From about 1903, he delivered a number of major designs for Westerwald Pottery, initially mainly for the SP Gerz concern, then later for the Reinhold Merkelbach company and others. This activity continued until the twenties. Four ceramic objects Wynand designed for Reinhold Merkelbach are in the collection of the British Museum.
In 1905 he took a teaching position at the Ceramic School in Hoehr / Westerwald, taking that position over from Ernst Barlach. In 1911 he moved to Berlin in order to continue his work as a sculptor. From 1934 through 1944 he was a teacher of visual arts at the Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandete Kunst in Berlin. In comparison to his more classical work of the 1920s, the characteristics of Wynand's sculpture of the 1930s, particularly the "Falconer" bronze on the grounds of Berlin's Olympic Stadium, come into conformity with the National Socialists' officially approved style.
In 2011 a show of Wynand's work was cancelled due to his "teaching in the service of the Nazi regime".

Work