Universe, Earth, Sea, City, Land (Heelal, Aarde, Zee, Stad, Land - 5 parts)

About this artwork.

Glazed terracotta statues can be seen at the corners of various streets in the Korrewegwijk. They were made in the 1950s by Anno Smith, commissioned by the public housing association.
 
Universe, Earth, Sea, City and Land on the West Indian Quay consists of five figures. Universe is depicted with fire and the zodiac, Earth has the moon at its feet and Sea is a mermaid-like figure with a skirt of scales. City, on the other hand, is a female figure with a book in one hand and an obscure object in the other, while Land is represented by a male figure holding a bunch of grapes and sheaves of grain. 
 
In the post-war period, ceramist Anno Smith made many hundreds of porch and facade decorations for the city of Groningen, intended for residential complexes, schools, shops and factories, among other things. It is for good reason that ceramics connoisseurs call Anno Smith a master of ornamentation. 
 
Smith mainly depicted everyday objects and scenes: fish, flowers, playing children and working craftspeople. Due to the uniformity of the post-war architectural style, each portico and building was given its own identity. Recognisability therefore does not happen to be an important feature of Smith's work. His clients also wanted cheerful performances that had to be understandable for the residents.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Anno Smith

• District
  Korrewegwijk & De Hoogte

• Year of creation
  1952

• Art type
  Art in / on a building, Wall sculpture

• Material
  Terracotta, Glaze

• Dimensions
  h 1,50 x b 0,50 x d 0,35 m