Early Life and Artistic Foundations Ernst Friedrich August Rietschel, born on December 15th, 1804, in the modest town of Pulsnitz, Saxony, emerged from humble beginnings that belied his future prominence as one of Germany’s most celebrated sculptors. His father, Friedrich Ehregott Rietschel, was a leather purse and glove maker, and the family faced considerable financial hardship during Ernst's formative years. Despite these challenges, an early inclination towards art manifested itself; by age ten, young Ernst received his first drawing lessons from Gottlieb Leberecht Kühler in Pulsnitz, su…