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Manfred Bischoff was described as an artist who had the "ability to make visible in his jewelry universal themes like fear, lust, death, and sexuality in a personal and narrative manner." He developed his designs from drawings and often exhibited his jewelry alongside the related sketches. His enigmatic jewelry evoked ideas seen in Surrealist art. The distinctive forms are often impenetrable, setting him apart from other artists of the 1970s and 80s. This resulted in feelings of isolation that further informed his work. High philosophy and low comedy—inspired by puns, metaphors, and literary references—often cohabit in Bischoff's world. In his Comedian and the Martyr, the cross-shaped coral element perched on the horizontal bar references an abstracted figure conversing with an even more abstract figure in the shape of a head and an enlarged eye. He used his own 22-karat gold alloy in a matte finish to validate the subject matter and coral to evoke the erotic, sensual qualities of human skin.
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The Comedian and the Martyr brooch
Manfred Bischoff (German, 1947–2015)
German
1990
Medium/Technique
Gold (18k), silver, coral
Dimensions
Overall: 9.5 x 10.2 x 1.3 cm (3 3/4 x 4 x 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
The Daphne Farago Collection
Accession Number2006.70
CollectionsEurope, Jewelry, Contemporary Art
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Brooches
Manfred Bischoff was described as an artist who had the "ability to make visible in his jewelry universal themes like fear, lust, death, and sexuality in a personal and narrative manner." He developed his designs from drawings and often exhibited his jewelry alongside the related sketches. His enigmatic jewelry evoked ideas seen in Surrealist art. The distinctive forms are often impenetrable, setting him apart from other artists of the 1970s and 80s. This resulted in feelings of isolation that further informed his work. High philosophy and low comedy—inspired by puns, metaphors, and literary references—often cohabit in Bischoff's world. In his Comedian and the Martyr, the cross-shaped coral element perched on the horizontal bar references an abstracted figure conversing with an even more abstract figure in the shape of a head and an enlarged eye. He used his own 22-karat gold alloy in a matte finish to validate the subject matter and coral to evoke the erotic, sensual qualities of human skin.
DescriptionTwo abstract figures in coral and gold mounted on branched oxidized silver base.
ProvenanceLouis Mueller Gallery; Daphne Farago, November 1, 1991 Daphne Farago; to MFA, 2006, gift of Daphne Farago.