Object Information

Katharina Fritsch roots her work in personal—often childhood—memories. At the same time, her meticulously handcrafted, iconic sculptures often engage broader aspects of German folklore and culture. With Monk the artist employs the lone, brooding figure of a friar to encapsulate her fascination with Christian traditions and rituals and the mysterious medieval towns, such as Nuremberg and Bamberg, that she frequented in her youth. Monk thus allows Fritsch to question both her cultural heritage and her role as an artist in a recently reunified nation.