African warrior Werkstatte Hagenauer Vienna ca. 1950
African warrior – scout, Werkstatte Hagenauer Vienna, ca. 1950, precious wood and brass, marked
marked with “Handmade”, “MADE IN/VIENNA/AUSTRIA”, “wHw” in the circle, “HAGENAUER/WIEN” bib.: Olga Kronsteiner, Monika Wenzl-Bachmeier (eds.), Hagenauer – Viennese Modernism and New Realism, exhibition catalogue Wagner:Werk Postsparkasse, Vienna 2011, p. 83; depicted as “African warrior“ in “Hagenauer Zettelkatalog 1957” (paper slip catalog), reprint Vienna 2011, mod.no. 4047
Description
From the 1930s, Werkstatte Hagenauer produced statuettes in the African style. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the theme of Africa was revisited through small busts and statuettes, as is well-documented in the Hagenauer’s sales catalog from 1957.
This particular sculpture also dates back to around 1950. It is part of a group of African warriors, all equipped with shields and spears. In addition to the scout on the lookout, there is a spear thrower and a warrior in a crouched posture who appears to be sneaking up to the enemy. They all share an elegant pose combined with strong formal reduction. The use of carved precious wood and polished brass makes these statuettes unmistakably products of Werkstatte Hagenauer.
Execution
Werkstätte Hagenauer – stylistic evolution and importance
Today, the Werkstatte Hagenauer is rightfully among the most important Austrian Arts & Crafts manufacturers of the 20th century. The clear, strict formal language combined with dynamic poses and the usage of brass, nickel-plated, patinated or bare, along with copper, alpaca and exotic wood shows a high level of recognition.
However, it took the siblings Karl and Franz Hagenauer quite some time until they developed their own unique style. Karl and Franz both attended the Vienna School of Arts & Crafts and studied under Josef Hoffmann, Oskar Strnad, Anton Hanak and Dagobert Peche.
Until the closure of the Werkstatte Hagenauer on December 30, 1987, art objects of outstanding quality were still being produced. The siblings Karl and Franz Hagenauer strongly contributed in coining the term „design“ through their legacy and are surely among the most influential Austrian artists of the 20th century.
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