{"product_id":"messerschmidt-vexed-man-bust","title":"Vexed Man with Sour Expression Caricature Study Statue by Messerschmidt, Assorted Sizes","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA Scowl Carved in Alabaster: The Messerschmidt Vexed Man Bust\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eMesserschmidt Vexed Man bust\u003c\/strong\u003e captures a grimace so lifelike you can almost hear the grumble. It comes in two sizes in resin, 7.25 in and 3.75 in high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is based on a Character Head by \u003cstrong\u003eFranz Xaver Messerschmidt\u003c\/strong\u003e, an 18th century German sculptor active in Austria. The man's expression falls somewhere between a grimace and a scowl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Resin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7.25 in H x 5 in W x 5 in D, 5.6 lbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmall:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 3\/4 in H x 2.5 in W x 2 in D, 1 lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Color description card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e Parastone Museum Collection (Mouseion 3D)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grimacing man bust\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduct number:\u003c\/strong\u003e ME04, PA22ME\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReading the Face\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe brow is furrowed above squinting eyes, and the nose is scrunched. A grimacing man bust like this is rare. Cracks in the alabaster seem to echo the lines of skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA receding hairline and sagging jaw contrast with tense cheek and neck muscles. Messerschmidt gave the bust no title, so the mood of this Messerschmidt Vexed Man bust is ours to name. Each Character Heads sculpture invites that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Character Heads\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForty-nine Character Heads survive, made from about 1770 until his death. A visitor in 1781 counted 56, and Messerschmidt seems to have planned 66.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe series reflects Enlightenment curiosity about the face and its expressions. Later writers have guessed at illness, though recent scholars doubt such labels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMesserschmidt told a visitor that he pinched himself to fight a night spirit. That tale sits behind this Enlightenment caricature statue. Find more in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/collections\/parastone-museum-replicas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eParastone Museum Replicas\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDisplay and Care\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe small bust suits a desk. The large one needs a firm shelf at 5.6 lbs. Dust either with a soft dry brush. Treat the Character Heads sculpture gently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFranz Xaver Messerschmidt in Brief\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMesserschmidt lived from 1736 to 1783. He studied in Vienna and worked there as an independent sculptor from 1760. He left in 1775 after being passed over for a professorship. The Messerschmidt Vexed Man bust keeps his bold project alive. It is an Enlightenment caricature statue with real depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFor More Reading from the Web\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeet the tormented sculptor and his 49 surviving Character Heads in this Apollo article. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/apollo-magazine.com\/many-faces-franz-xaver-messerschmidt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Many Faces of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt - Apollo Magazine\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead the Belvedere's short biography of Messerschmidt and his move from Vienna. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.belvedere.at\/en\/messerschmidt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eFranz Xaver Messerschmidt - Belvedere\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Parastone","offers":[{"title":"Large","offer_id":1192667227,"sku":"ME04","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Small","offer_id":12387142369393,"sku":"PA22ME","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/0537\/products\/ME04-PA22ME-messerschmidt-vexed-man-1-1000.jpg?v=1777660019","url":"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/products\/messerschmidt-vexed-man-bust","provider":"Museumize.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}