No. 001
Ruprecht von Kaufmann
The Boxer
198.5 x 153.5cm
Oil and collage (Mylar) on wood
2025
In front of a loosely hinted at backdrop of neoclassical architecture a bronze green horse is about to fall head first of its plinth, sending the rider, dressed in a festive uniform, flying off his saddle and out of the left side of the frame. A second horse is hinted behind the first one, whose frontal body is half, melted away into nothing.
Statues of emperors, kings generals or other powerful men (and sometimes women) on horseback have for thousands of years been symbols of imperial power, of omnipotent leaders and that wield military might against any opposition. Here the rider is thrown off his horse, the horse is weak and half rotten, without hind legs, tumbling off its base. A reminder that empires always have crumbled and fallen when they became too arrogant and too obsessed with their own story of omnipotence.
About the Artist
Ruprecht von Kaufmann
（Germany，b. 1974）
Ruprecht von Kaufmann Born in Munich, Germany, and a graduate of the BFA Los Angeles Art Center College of Design, Kaufmann has been associated with prestigious institutions like Berlin University of the Arts, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, and Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts. Currently residing and working in Berlin, he is recognized as a prominent visual narrative artist. As an artist focusing on graphic storytelling, Kaufmann explores various facets of human experience through the visual language of contemporary painting. His work showcases critical narratives and parallel realms of reality. Exhibiting in major European cities such as London, Berlin, Stuttgart, Oslo, and New York, his pieces have found a permanent place in renowned collections, including those of the Hort Family in New York, Germany's Sammlung Philara Museum, and the National Bank of Germany in Frankfurt.
