Renée Sintenis

Renée Sintenis (1888–1965) was a major German sculptor and engraver of the 20th century. Trained in Berlin, she made her mark early on with a modernist approach based on the simplification of forms and a great economy of means.

Her work is primarily devoted to animal figures, which she treats with a unique sculptural sensitivity, combining strength, elegance, and restrained expressiveness. From the 1920s onwards, her sculptures and prints enjoyed widespread international success.

In 1932, she created one of the most iconic modern representations of the Berlin Bear, which later became the official model for the Golden Bear, the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Despite the persecution she suffered under the Nazi regime, Renée Sintenis regained significant institutional recognition after the war. Her work is now held in numerous public and private collections and remains an essential reference point in modern German sculpture and printmaking.