Gentleman with bow tie, Franz Hagenauer, Werkstatte Hagenauer Wien, 1970s, brass nickel-plated, marked
Out of stock
With its head tilted to the side, our figure looks into the room from a single large eye. Nicely dressed up, the gentleman has combed his hair neatly and tied the bow boldly. A stylized nose emphasizes his elongated face.
Such “character heads” from the 1970s were among the most desirable objects from the Hagenauer workshop. Franz Hagenauer thus further developed his reduced head sculptures from the 1930s. He retained the technoid character with the geometrical-oval basic form, but adorned the heads with charming attributes, thus loosening up the appearance. So the bow tie and the dandyish hairstyle can be understood with a wink.
The caricature-like design is matched by the perfect workmanship. This is especially visible in the finely hammered ear. The two halves of the head are also soldered flawlessly; the seam on the polished head can only be seen when looking very closely.
The bright polish of the sculpture offers an additional attraction, as the head is not only an object of observation but also a mirroring surface for its surroundings.
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.
By submitting the inquiry form, you agree to the use of your data for this inquiry. Privacy Policy
Dorotheergasse 13
1010 Wien
Monday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.,
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Phone: +43 676 40 64 600
Mail: info@kolhammer.com