Fritz Gerth (24 June 1845, Wiesbaden - 1928, Berlin) was a German sculptor.

Dedicating the monument to Empress Victoria (postcard, 1903)

Life and work

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His father, Johann Julius Gerth, was a medallist and sculptor, who did stone work on the Waterloo Monument [de] in Wiesbaden. He provided Fritz with his initial artistic training. During his stay in Rome from 1875 to 1900, he served as Chairman of the local German Artists' Association [de]. Upon returning to Germany, he settled in Bad Homburg and opened a studio there.

His portrait busts and medallions were displayed at the Summer Exhibitions, held by the Royal Academy of Arts in London, from 1888 to 1892. Among them was a bust of Reverend Charles Langton (1803-1886), which is now at the parish church of St Peter & St Paul in Langton by Spilsby. He also had a major showing at the 50th anniversary exhibition of the Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden [de] in 1897.

His works include a monument to Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (as Landgravine) in Bad Homburg, the Landesdenkmal [de] (National Monument) in Wiesbaden, and a monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I, also in Bad Homburg. He is, perhaps, best remembered for his monument to Empress Victoria (1903), which was the centerpiece of Group #34 at the Siegesallee. It was one of the many statues there that were lost during World War II.

Sources

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  Media related to Fritz Gerth at Wikimedia Commons