Piano Player Franz Hagenauer ca. 1978

Focused and devoted, the elegant gentleman plays the piano and invites us to move to the imagined beat of the music. Precisely observing, Franz Hagenauer captures the scene of the pianist – dressed in fine evening attire, stylized by vivid metal appliqués and precise chiseling – in a finely drawn silhouette with loving details. The carefully tied bow tie, the prominent collar of the tuxedo and the attached cufflinks, all appear in a very lively manner. In an outstanding way, Franz Hagenauer succeeds in reducing physical features to a flat, almost two-dimensional level, which is so characteristic of his later creative period. The strong appearance of the life-size pianist is further emphasized by his impressive height of almost 60 inches.