Hummel figurines price list

German illustrator and Roman Catholic nun whose drawings of children became the models for Hummel figurines. Name variations: Sister Maria Innocentia. Completed art studies ; entered a convent, where she drew pictures of children that were sold to the public, first as greeting cards, then as figurines produced by the W. Goebel porcelain factory, the sales of which provided major financial support for her convent; captured in porcelain, Hummel's images of childhood innocence continue to be much beloved throughout the world and many of the figurines have become rare and expensive collectors' items.

Goebel hummel figurines official site

Millions of collectors throughout the world cherish the charming Hummel figurines, while others dismiss them as dust-catching kitsch. In some instances, the statues fetch thousands of dollars at auction. The artist responsible for the original images was a shy, reserved South German named Berta Hummel. She was born in into a large family in the small Bavarian village of Massing, located 20 miles north of Oberammergau, a location known for its breathtaking scenery, guarded by the Alps and skirting the Rott River.

Hummel grew up in a secure, supportive atmosphere. Her father Adolf Hummel was a prosperous businessman who ran the family dry goods store, but in his younger years he had dreamed of becoming an artist. The third of six children, Hummel showed an interest in drawing in her earliest years. Her mother Viktoria Hummel recalled that even as a young girl Berta used vast amounts of waste paper from the family store for her drawings, and also spent much time designing and sewing costumes for her dolls, which she then presented in shows to entertain her two sisters.

Hummel figurines

Berta suffered emotionally in her youth, at least in part because of her father's absence during World War I. She began to settle down, however, by age 12, when she was enrolled in a finishing school at Simbach where her artistic talents were encouraged. It became obvious to her family by her fourth year at Simbach that Berta's interests would always be dominated by her need to create art.

Her mother recalled that she "would bring her work home when she came for a weekend or a holiday.