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Große Zwei V

Große Zwei V is a bronze sculpture by Fritz Koenig from 1973. It measures 262 × 164.5 × 65 cm and is located in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district, near the Neue Pinakothek in the Kunstareal München. The work is subtitled Paolo und Francesca, referring to Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. The sculpture stands on a rectangular, flat plinth, is signed by Koenig, and has work catalogue number 563. It was bought directly from the artist by the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen and bears inventory number B 681. It was originally located on Barer Straße.

Große zwei V, a dark abstract bronze sculpture with two angled columns and a split spherical top outdoors.
Große zwei V by Fritz Koenig stands outdoors on a base near the Neue Pinakothek in Munich.
July 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Große Zwei V sculpture standing on a pedestal in a grassy park with trees and a distant building behind it.
Große Zwei V by Fritz Koenig stands on a pedestal in a park setting with trees in the background.
May 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Große Zwei V, a dark abstract bronze sculpture on a plinth in a grassy outdoor setting.
Große Zwei V by Fritz Koenig stands outdoors on a lawn, with trees in the background.
July 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Große zwei V, a dark abstract metal sculpture with curved forms and upright beams on a base in a park setting.
Große zwei V by Fritz Koenig, shown as a dark abstract bronze sculpture in a park.
July 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Große Zwei V, a dark abstract sculpture with cylindrical and spherical forms on a rectangular base in a grassy urban park.
Große Zwei V by Fritz Koenig stands on a grassy site near a street lined with buildings and parked cars.
January 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleGroße Zwei V
Title meaningRoman numeral V
Typebronze sculpture
Alternative titlePaolo und Francesca

Creator

ArtistFritz Koenig

Historical context

Year created1973

Physical characteristics

Dimensions262 × 164.5 × 65 cm
Height262 cm
Width164.5 cm
Depth65 cm

Materials

Materialbronze

Location and ownership

Inventory numberB 681
Work catalogue numberWkvz. no. 563
Current locationMunich, Maxvorstadt district, Bavaria, Germany, near the Neue Pinakothek in the Kunstareal München
Acquisitionpurchased directly from the artist by the Bavarian State Painting Collections
Former locationBarer Straße
Placementon a rectangular flat plinth

History and restoration

Inscriptionsigned 'Koenig'

Iconography and meaning

SubjectPaolo and Francesca, the adulterous lovers Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini in the fifth book of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy
Related artistic referencesthe motif was also treated in numerous works of music and visual art, including works by Rodin and Ingres

Related works

Other works with same title by artista documenta edition in Rosenthal porcelain from 1963 (Wkvz. no. 335a) and two small iron half-shells from 1980 (Wkvz. nos. 717 and 718)
Related versionGroße Zwei IX
Related version locationVilstalstausee between Marklkofen (Warth district) and Reisbach, Lower Bavaria, district of Dingolfing-Landau