The bronze sculpture “Animal Woman” is one of the early works of Joseph Beuys: it was created in 1949 when he was still a student. During that time, he mostly worked with images of animals and human figures, as well as religious subjects.

This sculpture by Beuys from the Ludwig museum’s collection combines the human appearance with the features of a fantastic dangerous predator. The image of the “Animal Woman” helps the artist explore archetypes — universal ideas, patterns and memories that have been part of the collective unconscious since ancient times. Archetypes are present in all people’s minds and often manifest themselves through dreams. Beuys used a similar image in his later painting and sculpture works as well.

Joseph Beuys said about his artistic manner,

Joseph Beuys was born in the German city of Krefeld in 1921. On several occasions, he visited the studio of the Flemish painter and sculptor Achilles Moortgat. In 1940, he was drafted. During the Second World War, he served as a rear-gunner.

In 1944, the plane with Joseph Beuys on board crashed on the Crimean Front. The heavily wounded artist was allegedly found by locals, who covered his body in fat to help it regenerate warmth, and wrapped it in felt as an insulator to keep warmth in. Beuys claimed that this event determined his artistic identity and use of insulating materials, such as fat, felt, honey, copper and others.

After the war, Beuys studied at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. In 1962, he began participating in the exhibitions, festivals and performances of the Fluxus community, which encompassed numerous artists, writers, designers and poets from all over the world. The members opposed commercial and academic art.

Beuys became world-famous for his evocative performances. Once during a classical music concert, the artist brought a piano covered with grey felt with red crosses on its sides to the hall. He then took out children’s toys, played with them on the floor near the instrument, and after a while, he pushed the piano out of the hall. This performance was called “Infiltration Homogen for Piano.”

By doing such things, Beuys tried to let some energy out and also stimulate the viewers to rethink their one-sided perception of reality by finding new meanings and interpretations.