(1885 Barth - 1945 Berlin) Great Adler Relief as Counterparts Gypsum, 1930s. These visually conceived representations depict an eagle dressed in either right or left attire in profile with accentuated relief feathers on its neck and wings. The renowned animal sculptor Max Esser visited the prestigious art school of the Museum of Applied Arts and the Art Academy in Berlin; from 1905 to 1914, he was a student and the most important collaborator of August Gaul. Since 1906, Esser participated in the major Berlin art exhibitions. In 1909, he created the first models for the Schwarzburg Workshops, and since 1919, also for the porcelain manufactory in Meissen. In 1923, he became the head of the master studio there. His sculpture "Fischotter" from 1934 received a Grand Prix at the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Comparable eagle representations can be found in Esser's oeuvre in Meissen porcelain (from 1931) and as stone sculptures (from 1936). Ger. best.; H. 57.5 cm. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist's estate; collection of Professor Dr. Johannes Rafael (1937-2021); auction of the Rafael collection at Bonhams, Paris, 14.04.2022, Lot 72. A pair of plaster reliefs of eagles, 1930s. Acquired directly from the artist's estate, later in the well-known collection of Professor Dr. Johannes Rafael. Minor chips.