Butler Franz Hagenauer ca. 1970

Beginning in the late 1960s, Franz Hagenauer introduced a new and strikingly modern approach to figural representation. While his earlier sculptures had been almost exclusively fully three-dimensional, he now developed a virtually two-dimensional method in which nickel-plated flat brass plates serve as the base structure. Tubes and various metal elements are soldered or screwed onto these plates, creating reduced yet highly expressive figures that define this important period in his work. This life-size butler belongs to that group of innovative creations.
The elegant servant appears in a formal tailcoat with bow tie and a copper-colored waistcoat. Although the figure is conceived in a deliberately planar way, several projecting elements such as the outstretched arms carrying the tray, the bow tie, and the lapels give it a vivid and sculptural presence. Chiseled details and applied buttons add refinement as well as a touch of humor. The tray is removable and may be used for placing small objects. A period photograph of this model is preserved in the Archives of the Wiener Werkstätte at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna, inventory number HAF 878.