Table lamp Gustav Gurschner ca. 1901

Among the objects Gustav Gurschner designed for study interiors were a number of elaborately crafted table lamps. Shortly after his debut at the First Exhibition of the Vienna Secession in 1898, companies such as Johann Loetz Witwe and E. Bakalowits & Söhne in Vienna began commissioning artistically conceived lighting pieces from Gurschner, which they paired with complementary glass shades from their own manufactories.
In 1897, Gurschner spent time in Paris, where he was deeply influenced by the French Art Nouveau. A hallmark of his work is the fusion of functional everyday objects with sculptural elements, often featuring female figures. In this table lamp, a female figure holds the glass shade aloft with outstretched arms, while her flowing skirt forms the base of the lamp. The finely modeled drapery and delicately chased ornamental details of her garment highlight Gurschner’s exceptional skill as a bronze artist.
The shade, made by Johann Loetz Witwe in the softly iridescent Opal Candia Papillon decor, lends the lamp a graceful elegance and creates a warm, atmospheric light.

Cast in dark-patinated bronze, the piece impresses with ist sculptural presence and the harmonious balance it strikes between artistic expression and functional design.