Introduction | Timeline | Materials | Themes | Teacher's Notes | Bibliography | Exhibitions | Glossary

Materials & Techniques

Crouched Figure, steatite, 1923

Karl Duldig created ‘Crouched Figure’ while a student of the master sculptor Anton Hanak at the Kunstgewerbeschule (College of Arts and Crafts) in Vienna. This is one of his earliest sculptures. Before his wife, Slawa left Vienna in 1938, she arranged for all the contents of their apartment to be packed. They were taken to Paris by her sister, Rella, who had married a Frenchman, and remained hidden in a cellar throughout World War II, finally arriving in Australia many years later.

The work was carved from steatite - also called soapstone - with a knife rather than the traditional hammer and chisels used for harder materials such as marble. The figure emerges from the original shape of the stone. Duldig followed Anton Hanak’s method of carving directly into the stone without preliminary drawings, models or maquettes. ‘Crouched Figure’ appears to almost struggle from the stone and illustrates Hanak’s guiding principle that the material itself should play a significant role in determining the final form of an artwork. This requires a great deal of technical skill as well as artistry.

What does the name ‘soapstone’ suggest to you about the nature of this material?

Knowing that the piece was carved using a knife, what qualities do you think the material may have?

Look for descriptions of steatite or soapstone in the glossary and other reference books and try to find other works (both in this exhibition and in other collections) that have been created in this medium. Can you find any similarities between this and other works using steatite or soapstone, for example in their subject matter or the technique that has been used?

Where is steatite or soapstone found? Describe similar materials that are available in Australia.

Can you find the portrait of Rella in the exhibition? Describe the appearance of this piece and consider the technique and materials Duldig used to create it. What meaning do you think this piece may have to the story of Karl Duldig and his family?