Waldemar

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bronze, iron

The sculpture was given the name Waldemar, which is Germanic in origin and translates as “mighty ruler” — something the work as a whole lives up to. The inspiration was the first record of an archaeological find, reported by National Geographic, showing the remains of the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty with his jade armour and helmet, discovered in Xi'an's Lintong District eight metres underground. The artist was struck by the peculiar rigidity of the figure and gave it form in this sculpture.

What the sculpture looks like

"Waldemar" is a figurative sculpture showing a standing male figure. In height the figure comes close to an adult, but its proportions are far more substantial. It is broad, compact and looks ponderous. It stands facing the viewer on a low rectangular plate. It makes no gesture. Its arms hang down along the body, its legs are straight and close together. The whole figure gives the impression of having been stopped in stillness, almost like a statue.

The sculpture is made of metal with a dark green patina, in places green-blue. In the recesses the colour darkens and shifts almost to black. On the protrusions it is cooler, turquoise or muted green. The surface is not smooth. It is strongly relieved, full of small divisions, hollows and protrusions. Light reflects off the projecting elements, while the darker lines between them emphasise the segmented structure of the figure.

The figure has a short, broad body. The torso recalls armour, a thick tunic or a suit of plate assembled from many small parts. Its whole surface is covered with raised rectangles and squares. These elements form irregular but fairly compact rows. They do not create realistic clothing. They give more the impression of a protective coat put on over the body. The front of the torso is the most densely worked. It is here that the small elements are most visible, giving the figure the character of someone in armour, protected by a shield.

Waldemar has broad shoulders that fall heavily at the sides. The arms are not anatomically developed. They have the shape of simple, compact bodies. The hands are dark and simplified, recalling thick gloves. No clearly separated fingers are visible. The legs are set vertically, almost parallel. They are straight, rigid and taper slightly downwards. Their surface too is covered with vertical and rectangular grooves. The feet are large, broad and rest flat on the base.

The head is set low, almost without a neck. It has the shape of a simplified mask or helmet. It is wide, angular and somewhat larger than natural proportions would suggest. Short horizontal protrusions sit at the sides. They may recall the side parts of a helmet or ear guards. The face is flat and synthetic. Its most pronounced feature is a long, straight nose. The eyes are small, dark and deeply set. They have the shape of horizontal notches in the structure of the metal. The mouth is indicated very sparingly. The face shows no emotion.

The whole figure is strongly simplified and geometric. This is not a realistic portrait of a human being. The static pose, the substantial proportions and the segmented surface evoke the image of an ancient warrior or ruler. The sculpture does not create this association through literal clothing, but through the means of expression it uses.

Finally, it is worth recalling the context of the work provided by the organisers. The sculpture was given the name "Waldemar", which is of Germanic origin and means "mighty ruler". The work was inspired by a record of an archaeological find described in National Geographic magazine. It showed the remains of the first emperor of the Qin dynasty with jade armour and helmet, discovered in Lintong district in Xi'an. The artist, Jaroslav Róna, was struck above all by the rigidity of this figure, and it is precisely this that he translated into the sculptural form of Waldemar.