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Estimate: $ 1,200 - $ 1,800
FREDERICK G. R. ROTH Sketchbook with approximately 125 pencil drawings.
Bound sketchbook with approximately 125 pencil on paper drawings. 190x145 mm; 7 1/2x5 3/4 inches. Mainly drawings of animals and studies for sculptures.
Ex-collection private collection, New Jersey.
Roth (1872-1944), born in Brooklyn, New York was a well-known animalier sculptor. He studied sculpture under Edmund von Hellmer (1850-1935) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and also attended the Royal Academy in Berlin. Reflecting his classical training, Roth's style was characterized by naturalistic yet idealized and whimsical forms which were based on careful observation from nature. Roth was known to have visited zoos to model animals from life. In 1901, he achieved international prominence for his bronze Roman horse-drawn chariot exhibited at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. A wonder of engineering and artistry, the chariot appeared as though it was careening through the air. He subsequently exhibited at several national and international shows.
In 1934, Roth was named chief sculptor of the Department of Parks in New York City under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration. In New York, his most acclaimed sculptures can be found in Central Park. Balto, which is larger-than-life, is one of the city's most famous sculptures and captures the courage and heroism of the legendary sled dog. Mother Goose depicts nursery rhyme characters frozen in action, blending naturalism and fantasy for which Roth had come to be known for. An important figure in American sculpture, Roth was a member of the National Academy of Design and served as president of the National Sculpture Society.
