WOLFF, Albert
(b. 1814, Neustrelitz, d. 1892, Berlin)

Biography

German sculptor. The son of the Neustrelitz sculptor and master builder Christian Philipp Wolff (b 1772), he went to Berlin in 1831 to study at the Akademie and subsequently gained acceptance in the studio of the sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch, a friend of his father's. He worked in Rauch's studio for 15 years, helping with the execution of the bronze figure group of Polish Princes (1828-41; Poznan, Cathedral), the statues of Victories for Leo von Klenze's Valhalla in Munich (e.g. Victory Throwing a Garland, marble, 1841; Berlin, Nationalgalerie), and the marble sarcophagus for Queen Frederica of Hannover (1841-47; in situ) in the Herrenhausen, Hannover.

Among Wolff's first independent works was a bronze figure of a girl with a lamb, known as Innocence (1836; Berlin, Berlin Museum). On commission from Count Edward Raczynski, Wolff produced the over life-size seated figure of Countess Constantia Potocka Raczynski as Hygieia (bronze, 1840-41; in situ, Plac Wolnosc) for the Priessnitz Fountain in Poznan. In 1844-45, Wolff was in Italy (mainly Rome and Carrara), where he executed the charming Children's Fountain, intended for Sanssouci (marble replica, 1844-9; Neustrelitz, Stadtpark).

He set up his own studio after returning from Italy. From 1866 he was a successful teacher at the academy in Berlin.