Wolfgang Hugo Rheinhold, Monkey Holding Skull (Affe mit Schädel, 1892–93) – Museum Sculpture Replica, Parastone Collection

The Monkey Holding Skull Statue is a captivating meditation on knowledge, evolution, and human self-reflection. Created by German sculptor Wolfgang Hugo Rheinhold in 1892–93, the small bronze figure—sometimes called Philosophizing Monkey—caused a sensation when exhibited at the Berlin Art Exhibition of 1893. It was Rheinhold’s first public work and became an immediate success, reproduced in several versions by the Berlin foundry H. Gladenbeck & Sohn.

In this scene, a thoughtful monkey sits upon a stack of books, gazing at a human skull held delicately in one paw. One book bears the Latin words Eritis Sicut Deus—“Thou shalt be as God” (from Genesis III: 5)—the serpent’s promise to Eve. Another volume is inscribed with the name Darwin, referring to Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking On the Origin of Species. Through these symbols, Rheinhold invites reflection on faith, science, and the boundaries of reason.

This faithful museum reproduction from the Parastone Museum Collection preserves the expressive modeling and bronze patina of the original. The Monkey Holding Skull Statue embodies late-nineteenth-century curiosity about evolution, philosophy, and the moral consequences of knowledge. A cast of the sculpture even sat upon Vladimir Lenin’s desk in the Kremlin, a testament to its enduring symbolism.

• Faithful reproduction of Monkey Holding Skull (Affe mit Schädel), 1892–93
• Made from bonded stone with bronze finish
• Measures 6 in H × 4 in W × 3.25 in L · Weight 1.7 lbs
• Includes descriptive information card
• Other sizes available: RHE03 and PA09RHE
• Part of the Parastone Museum Collection (PN RHE01)

Meaning and Symbolism

The Monkey Holding Skull Statue condenses the intellectual anxieties of the 1890s. Its humorous yet somber tone mirrors the era’s debates between religion and evolutionary science. The monkey, mankind’s biological cousin, contemplates mortality and reason—an ironic reversal of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a man ponders a skull. Rheinhold’s creature, rather than despairing, appears to question the arrogance of human intellect itself.

The sculpture has also been nicknamed Darwin’s Mistake, emphasizing humanity’s uneasy relationship with its animal origins. Whether seen as satire or philosophy, it remains a powerful commentary on the pursuit of knowledge and the limits of wisdom.

About the Artist: Wolfgang Hugo Rheinhold (1853–1900)

Born in Oberlahnstein, Prussia, Rheinhold was the son of a prosperous Jewish merchant. He traveled to San Francisco in 1874 to work in trade, but after the death of his wife he returned to Berlin to study philosophy. Art became his calling only later in life. Under the guidance of Max Kruse and Ernst Herter at the Berlin Academy of Arts, Rheinhold developed a distinct style combining moral inquiry and realism. His major works include Am Wege, a life-size marble of a mourning mother nursing her child, and the famous Monkey Holding Skull.

Although his career was brief, Rheinhold’s sculptures captured the intellectual spirit of fin-de-siècle Europe. They bridge art and science, echoing the philosophical questions posed by thinkers such as Darwin and Nietzsche. His combination of humor and gravitas continues to fascinate collectors and historians toda