Half figure of a woman Franz Hagenauer ca. 1985

Throughout his life, Franz Hagenauer regarded himself first and foremost as a sculptor. From an early age, he developed a distinctive, stylized formal language. Through clear reduction and geometric rigor, he created an impressive variety of sculptures in which the human body is continually reinterpreted through expressive poses.
The present work depicts a strongly stylized female half-figure. The upward-stretched arms and the clearly reduced body form lend the sculpture a sense of poised elegance. Hagenauer deliberately avoids naturalistic detail, focusing instead on the rhythmic flow of line and the balance of the silhouette.

Resting on a teardrop-shaped base, the sculpture is conceived in the round, revealing a new perspective on form, movement, and balance from every angle. Executed in nickel-plated brass, the figure is hand-hammered and highly polished. One side displays a finely textured, hammered surface, while the other gleams with flawless brilliance. The subtle contrast between the two emphasizes the interplay of light and movement in a particularly striking way. Despite its flat, almost two-dimensional execution, the figure appears spatially dynamic and expansive through the gentle twist of its form.
This masterful synthesis of reduction, dynamism, and formal precision exemplifies Hagenauer’s unmistakable artistic signature and the modern design language of the Werkstätte Hagenauer.