Art Nouveau animal group "Four King Penguins" Group of four naturalistically designed king penguins in different postures standing on an irregular, ice floe-shaped base. Polychrome underglaze and overglaze painting. Designed by Erich Hösel, 1913, model no. V 145, crossed swords mark. H. 27.5 cm; l. 26.5 cm. The sculptor Erich Hösel (1869 - 1953) studied at the Dresden Academy of Art, later also under Johannes Schilling and Robert Diez. He was appointed head of the design department in 1903, became a professor in 1904 and was promoted to design director in 1912. As a designing artist, he was a member of the Deutscher Werkbund. He created numerous naturalistic, mainly lively animal figures for the Meissen manufactory. As a counterpart, Hösel designed - also in 1913 - another group with a different posture (model no. V 144). See Walcha, Meissener Porzellan, Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart, Dresden 1973, plate 212 (model no. V 144). An Art Nouveau porcelain figure group of four King penguins modelled by E. Hösel. Crossed swords mark. Meissen. After 1934.