Estate of the artist, Güstrow
Private Collection, Germany (acquired from the above circa 1948 and sold: Sotheby's, London, February 5, 2007, lot 5)
Acquired at the above sale

Ernst Barlach, Ein selbsterzähltes Leben, Munich, 1948, no. 69, illustration of another cast n.p.
Friedrich Schult, Ernst Barlach, Das Plastische Werk, Hamburg, 1959, no. 343, illustration of another cast p. 191 
Carl Dietrich Carls, Ernst Barlach, London, 1969, illustration of another cast p. 88
Anita Beloubek-Hammer, Ernst Barlach, Plastische Meisterwerke, Leipzig, 1996, color illustration of another cast p. 117
Elisabeth Laur, Ernst Barlach, Das Plastische Werk, Güstrow, 2006, ♕no. 432, illustration of another cast p. 🍸208

Work has a golden brown patina. Surface is clean. There is some very minor patina rubbing on the tips of the figure's toes and a few small surface stains at the base of the figure's back. Otherwise fine; the work is in excellent condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Der Singende Mann is one of the finest examples of Ernst Barlach's bronze sculptures. Executed with the utmost sensibility for form and content, the artist brilliantly renders the singing posture of the figure. The spirit with which Barlach has rendered his subject is highly evocative, capturing a musician at work. Sitting down in a relaxed pose, the singer seems to be practicing his notes. Barlach saw the human form as a vessel holding the greatest secret, which he in turn sought to uncover. Effectively, the artist left the human body wrapped in clothing; only the clothed shape, the sensed rather than the obvious, was able to express the psychic twilight of the human figure as he felt it.

Barlach achieves a unique illusion of transparency in the present bronze in which the figure's limbs are covered but can occasionally be glimpsed through his severe clothing. As a result, the entire figure appears to be illuminated from within. The singer is filled with powerfully expressive emotion and maintains a dramatic attitude whereby Barlach brilliantly communicates a sense of liberation to the viewer.

The present cast was acquired directly from the artist's estate and was probably cast immediately after the artist's death. It is also one of the earliest casts stamped with the foundry mark H. Noack Berlin instead of H. Noack Berlin Friedenau.