GARDEN GNOMES: is it design?

The most illustrious predecessors of dwarfs are the depictions of Lares, figures of ancient Roman mythology and the Greek god Priapus, protector of orchards and gardens. The dwarfs and their Gulliverian counterparts, the Giants frequently featured in the history of Renaissance and Mannerist villas and even today the Dwarf’s apartments in the Gonzaga castle in Mantua remain a hugely popular tourist attraction. In the 1800s, Ludwig I initiated the fashion for eclectic Romanesque castles and later his grandson Ludwig II commissioned his own fairytale castle near Fussen, which became the pop icon par excellence of the merchandising business based on the creations of Walt Disney, whose Disneyland castle it inspired.

Gnome with doves

made in Germany, 2008

rotational moulding polymer

varnished

h 35 cm

Gnome with rabbit

made in Germany, 2008

polyester resin

and layered fiberglass

epoxy varnish

h cm 40