William Ludwig Untitled Bust Man With Closed Eyes 1979

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An untitled bust sculpture by listed artist William Ludwig. The cast bronze head is turned 45 degrees to the left, … Read more An untitled bust sculpture by listed artist William Ludwig. The cast bronze head is turned 45 degrees to the left, and has a peaceful expression with eyes closed. A layered helmet with a gilt finish appears to unfurl around the face. Set on a cube of coral stone. Signed by the artist in the back.

William Ludwig (1935–2011) was an American sculptor whose practice centered on bronze casting and figurative form. His work has been described by various critics as “realistic,” “surrealistic,” “classical,” and always “meticulously crafted.” His work is generally figurative, usually female, and features detailed, patined surfaces often contrasting with highly polished flat planes or draperies of metal. Ludwig uses some life casts in his work. He models directly in wax and uses the lost-wax method of casting, resulting in images very rich in detail. He variously uses fabric, clothing, headgear, helmets and armor to add movement and content to the pieces. The resulting heads, torsos and reliefs are elegant, graceful and beautifully crafted.

Educated at Hartford Art School and Tulane University, Ludwig studied under artists including Wolfgang Behl and Jessie Poesch, earning his MFA in sculpture with a minor in American art history. After completing his studies, he co-founded a cooperative foundry and later established the longest continuously operating fine art foundry in Louisiana. Ludwig’s work combined formal academic training with a commitment to craftsmanship, producing unique bronze sculptures that explored the human figure and material process.

Since he received his MFA in 1968, Ludwig has worked as a sculptor and participated in numerous juried and invitational shows, 29-one-man shows and 26 two-person shows. Three of the two-person shows were with Wolfgang Behl, his former sculpture professor at Hartford Art School. Ludwig produces approximately 35 new, unique bronze sculptures annually and is represented by galleries throughout the U.S.
Ludwig has served as visiting artist at colleges and universities in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He has also served on the faculties at Loyola University and Tulane University in New Orleans. He has been involved in work/study programs with the College of Design at Louisiana and Loyola University of the South that permitted his assistants to obtain college credits.
Commissions
In 1984, Ludwig was awarded a commission by the Louisiana Vietnam Veterans Leadership program to design and cast the official Louisiana State Vietnam War Monument. The monument, which consisted of four life-sized figures, was the first state monument to the Vietnam veterans in the United States, dedicated on Veterans’ Day, 1984.
In 1990, Ludwig was commissioned to do a life-sized portrait of philanthropist Malcolm Woldenberg with his grandson for Woldenberg Riverfront Park at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans which he completed in the same year.
In April, 1992, Ludwig completed a commissioned work for the City of Orlando, FL consisting of two life-sized bronze citrus workers—one figure standing on a ladder, one seated on an orange crate, located in Leu Gardens in Orlando.
In 1996, he completed a sculpture of the fictional New Orleans character, Ignatius Reilly, from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. The life-sized bronze sculpture has been placed beneath the old D. H. Holmes’ department store clock (now a Chateau Sonesta Hotel) on Canal Street in New Orleans.
In late 1996, Mr. Ludwig was commissioned to create a life-sized bronze figure of the Crucified Christ by St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Slidell, LA. This figure, mounted on an 8’ cypress cross, was installed for the spring, 1997 Easter celebration. At the same time, he received a commission to do a sculpture of a life-sized figure of the Holy Mother Mary as a young girl. This was installed in their outdoor garden in August, 1997. See less