Reclining nude with clock Franz Hagenauer ca. 1980

This reclining female nude with a clock is undoubtedly one of Franz Hagenauer’s most extravagant creations. Seemingly weightless, carried by waves, the figure holds a clock aloft in her raised arms. Hagenauer renders the woman with delicate, finely modeled limbs, the circular clock case nestled perfectly within the crescent shape of her arms. The circle emerges as a recurring motif, echoed in three variations: the undulating waves, the curved arms, and the round clock itself.
Everything here seems to exist in perfect suspension. The very idea of a nude figure reclining on waves already reveals Hagenauer’s playful imagination. But it is the execution, so harmonious and impeccably balanced, that ultimately unveils the true genius of the artist.