Table lamp Gustav Gurschner ca. 1900

Among the objects that Gustav Gurschner designed for study rooms were several table lamps. Shortly after his debut at the First Exhibition of the Vienna Secession in 1898, companies such as the glass manufacturers Johann Loetz Witwe and E. Bakalowits & Söhne in Vienna began commissioning Gurschner to create artistically designed lighting objects, which were paired with matching shades from their glassworks.
In 1897, Gurschner spent time in Paris, where he was exposed to French Art Nouveau. The sinuous, stylized floral and vegetal ornamentation became a defining element of his artistic work, as is clearly evident in this table lamp. Like a plant stem, the bronze lamp base rises from the base in an organic, flowing line, branching out at the ends into delicate ornamental tendrils that support the lampshade.

The shade, made of delicately iridescent glass with the “Phänomen Genre 8065” decor, created by Wilhelm Loetz Witwe, is adorned with a dense pattern of silver-yellow threads. The upper part of the shade is further decorated with delicate silver-yellow bands, which are drawn downward into individual droplets. The shade adds a subtle elegance to the lamp and creates a softly atmospheric light.