The Magical Artistry of Hildegard Günzel 

by Pam North

	It's another coup for German designer and artist, Hildegard Günzel. Once again she has enchanted the doll world, this time with her 2017 collection, The Magic Touch of Dolls. Günzel is undoubtedly one of the most important designers in the history of doll art, with over four decades of doll-making to her credit. and her annual exquisite renderings of irresistible little personalities are eagerly awaited by collectors worldwide. 
	A graduate of the German Master School for Fashion Design in Munich, Günzel worked for many years as a designer in the fashion and jewelry industries. Her first dolls, of plaster, were produced in 1973, followed by porcelain dolls in 1980. 
What inspired her to create dolls? When asked that question, Günzel replied that when she saw a collection of antique dolls over 40 years ago, she became completely fascinated with them, as so many dolls had been destroyed in Europe during World War II. At a fair for antique dolls in Frankfurt, she saw her first bowl of porcelain, which prompted her to make her first mold. An unfortunate omission of mold release made it impossible for her to retrieve the doll from the mold, so the would-be doll was lost. Günzel says that her first completed doll in 1972 was a disaster, commenting with a chuckle that, “It was ugly, and, of course, it didn't sell!” Luckily, she refused to give up, however, or her legendary doll artistry might never have happened. Such are the initial failures and and subsequent successes of doll artists who pay their dues through their learning process, and venture onward with determination. 
Günzel has become a master artist over the years. Her dolls evoke the tender innocence of beautiful children with wistful expressions. The dolls' lifelike porcelain complexions are enhanced with a wax coating overlay for a realistic glow. In costuming her enchanting creations, she uses only the most exquisite materials, such as real silk, cashmere, expensive brocade, and hand-embroidered fabrics. Her dolls wear handmade human hair wigs. All accessories of the dolls are painstakingly elaborate, indicating her love for detail. 
Günzel shared her thoughts on how her newest dolls were inspired. “A lot of thought went into choosing this title for my latest collection. For as long as I can remember, I always have been mesmerized by dolls and figurines. When I began creating dolls, I wanted to capture the magic of children’s faces in them. These dolls are intended to both show and evoke emotions, creating that magic moment which triggers the desire of the artist, viewer, and collector. It's being spellbound by a doll that touches something deep inside of you, and it becomes inevitable that because this little figure has touched your heart, it needs to become part of your life forever. It always has fascinated me how the one and same doll can evoke so many different emotions in the viewers.”
	“Sometimes I am asked why most of my porcelain dolls have fixed, non-rotatable heads. The reason for that is that these dolls primarily are intended to be impressions of a moment, creatures with their very own specific body language rather than dolls for play and dressing up. For me, they very much are sculptures or figurines with clothing. If treated with love, care, and respect by their companions, these dolls will spread joy and keep their magic forever. They sometimes will provide a welcome escape from our daily life, and take us on an enchanted tour into a world of fantasy.”
	All of her 2017 creations have human hair wigs, blown-glass eyes, and are elegantly dressed in fine fabrics. Many have accessory toys that either are included, or may be purchased separately. This year's porcelain with wax-overlay offerings, in limited editions of just 10 each worldwide, include:
Eliana (57cm/22.5 in) with wavy, reddish-blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. 
Cara (84 cm/33 in) with blonde hair in two high side-buns, and light brown eyes.
Esther (55 cm/21.5 in) with reddish-brown, wavy hair, and light brown eyes. 
Caroline (98 cm/38.5in) with blonde pigtails, and brown eyes. 
	
	Günzel's second group consists of resin or porcelain/wax dolls in limited editions of 80 each worldwide, and include:
Tian Yu  (81 cm/31.5in) with black hair in small pigtails, and brown eyes. 
Twins Robin (81 cm/31.5 in) with brown hair, and brown eyes, and Mila  (50 cm / 19.5 in) with blonde pigtails, and brown eyes. 
English Rose Charlotte (81 cm/31.5in) with light brown hair, and blue eyes. 
	A third group is Timeless Treasures Rediscovered . “These six designs are very limited porcelain dolls from my previous collections, rendered in a new design,” Günzel explained. “As in the last year, I once again redesigned, and thus revived, some of my favorite dolls that hadn’t reached their limitation yet. My staff and I had lots of fun doing so, and enjoyed the process very much. We had quite a few surprise moments of just how different a familiar doll could change into an entirely new character, just by changing some design elements.” These porcelain dolls have only limited availability, and include six charmers:
Pina (49 cm/19 in) with auburn-colored hair in two plaits, and brown eyes. 
Nona (86 cm/33.5 in) with a blonde bob, and greyish-blue eyes. 
Myrna (91cm/35.5 in) with wavy, auburn hair, and blue eyes. 
Hanna-Lena (89 cm/35 in) with brown hair, and blue eyes.
Lisa-Marie (91 cm/35.5 in) with long, light blonde hair, and greyish-green eyes. 
Theresa Exotic Variation (98 cm/38.5 in) with a brown/blonde wavy wig, and brown eyes.
	Günzel's talents go beyond her superb doll-making. “I like to work in another field,” she said, “so every two years I go to Salzburg to study sculpture with Judy Fox.” Superb bronze statues result from her endeavors there. She sees them as figurines, and describes a finished creation as “freezing a moment in time.”  
	Her 2017 collection is a showcase of fourteen remarkably precious personalities, proving that whatever she chooses to design, each is its own special masterpiece. 

Contact Information:
Telephone: 011 49 203 93556375
Email: design@hildegardguenzel.com
Website: http://www.hildegardguenzel.com/