Here’s the start for my next original bust. Pretty rough so far but you get the idea. I came down with unexpected pneumonia on Thursday and will be stuck at home for a bit. Caught it early and the drugs seem to be beating it back effectively.

Admiral Wilhelm Canaris was Chief of German counter-intelligence in WWII and a quiet supporter of the German Resistance. Canaris was a study in contrasts. He was a decorated naval officer in WWI, an effective intelligence officer who contributed to the German war effort, and a right wing Freikorps member between the wars. Below is his signed visiting card.



But he was a great admirer of Spain and he personally talked General Franco out of entering the war on Germany’s side, arguing that he would be aligning himself with the wrong side. This prevented any assault on Gibraltar and kept the Med open for allied shipping. Without Canaris, the allies would have had significant difficulty in launching their North African, Sicilian or Italian campaigns.

He knew that his second in command, Generalmajor Hans Oster was running an active conspiratorial cell out of Group Z in the Abwehr office. This unit was an effective support for the army conspirators in the 1938, 1939 and 1943 coup attempts. Oster’s office was a primary link between the resistance and the Allies until they were broken up by the Gestapo in March 1943. The demise of group Z came weeks after the failed Army Group Centre plots to put a bomb on Hitler’s plane and to kill Hitler in a suicide bombing in the Zeughaus on Heroes Memorial Day.

Canaris also personally helped Jews escape Germany on multiple occasions. He supported Operation U7, which was a plan to help 13 Berlin Jews to escape to Switzerland. The successful plan indirectly led to Canaris’ loss of control of the Abwehr and the arrest of Oster, his assistant Hans von Dohnanyi and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. After Stauffenberg’s July 20, 1944 bomb plot, the Canaris group was implicated, arrested and transferred to various concentration camps. In September 1944, incriminating documents were found in the safe of Abwehr officer Oberstleutnant Werner Schrader following that officer’s July 28, 1944 suicide.

Below are a portrait of Schrader, his original death certficate showing suicide by head shot, and the receipt signed by brother officers for the funds found on his corpse. Schrader was involved in providing Stauffenberg with the explosive used on July 20 and he shot himself in OKH HQ Zossen to avoid torture and to avoid compromising co-conspirators.



Later, Canaris’ complete personal diary was found in another safe at Zossen. The diaries made clear that Canaris had been playing a double game against the Nazis since before the war and Hitler was enraged. On April 9, 1945, Canaris and several other members of the Abwehr resistance circle were put on trial in an SS kangaroo court and were brutally hung at KZ Flossenburg, on Hitler’s direct orders.



After the war, Abwehr officer Hans von Dohnanyi was named a righteous gentile by Yad Vashem and recent attempts have been made to nominate Bonhoeffer and Canaris for the same honour.

A fascinating man.



Sculpting is in sculpey firm. Not much of a likeness so far but I hope to work it closer.



Colin

Off to a great start Colin... The likeness isn't that far off IMO. Good piece of background info as well.
Too bad about your getting sick ... At your age you really have to be more careful. Stay close to the hearth and keep your shawl drawn up snug

At least you'll have some time to do some sculpting
Following closely

Colin

Colin

Great job, as usual. Are you going to depict him in uniform? Headgear?

Regards my friend, and get well soon

Excellent job on an interesting subject. He was surely "dancing on the blade" most of his life.
Best wishes that you get well!
Martin

Looks good Colin although I do have to wonder about "unexpected pneumonia" Is Canada so polite that even the diseases book an appointment so as not to cause inconvenience ?

Steve

Thanks Steve. Yes our diseases have to ask permission to show. I was at a morning meeting feeling fine and drove home 45 minutes. By the time I got home I was having chest pains with no other symptoms of a respiratory illness. Figured it could be heart so better safe than sorry went off to Emerge with the controlling shareholder worrying like crazy. Then the fever hit and real pain. Very weird. I am on the mend but never had a cough or other cold symptoms.

Filipe I will likely do him in admiral's uniform without Schirmutz as he is seen in most photos. Although I had thought of doing him with of one of his beloved dogs. We shall see.

Colin

Hi Nap - I don't even have to research his bar as a militaria site on line produces this repro Canaris bar.



Colin

Still working the likeness. Added more jowells, wider nose, lowered the brow etc.



Colin

Hope you are filling better mate! These things are so unpredictable... Take care, my friend!
Great start. It's starting to show. Will follow closely!
Cheers mate,
Zeno

Thanks Zeno - sick equals lots of guilt-free sculpting time. My wife is threatening to duct tape me to my chair unless I take it easy so I guess that's that.

Colin

A bit farther on. Hair is MS. Actually I am disappointed in this piece. Its not saying "Canaris" to me. His face is too wide and perhaps too short. The hair is all wrong too so that will have to go with the dremel. I will have to see if this is salvageable.

On the positive side, the photography seems to be distorting the bust. In real life it looks a lot better.




Colin

Colin, I think that you are doing fine. IMHO some more work is needed in the corners of the mouth, line of the eyebrows and the temples. Following with interest!
Martin

Basically started over - drilled out his eyes, cut out everything below his nose, removed some material from his cheeks. I may start a new string as this was sooooo not a successful first attempt.

Colin

That's OK Colin... Remember the path to success... Try- Fail- Try again- Fail better- Try again---
How long will you be in isolation?

Colin

Colin - I am off to see the doc today to see what's up.

Here's the head basically done. Not perfect but better than it was. I expect he will look better with paint. I am thinking of ramping up the challenge even more by showing him holding one of his beloved wire haired dachshunds. Carpe Diem!



Colin

I have to say that it looks better now, indeed.

Remarkable change! The restart paid off nicely.
Cheers, Martin