Attributed to Franz Bergman

Attributed to FRANZ BERGMAN (Austria, 1838-1894).
Viennese school, ca. 1900.
"Slave trader".
Cold enameled bronze.
Antico green marble pedestal.
Measurements: 33 x 19,5 x 10,5 cm.

Orientalist sculpture in bronze, partially gilded and cold enameled. The orientalist theme and the technique of cold enameling was often practiced by Franz Bergman, in quality pieces like the one we show. An Arab merchant touts the goodness of the naked woman he wants to sell as a sex slave. His histrionic gesticulation contrasts with the girl's lifeless languor. Turban, tunic and flesh tones have been described with great attention to the qualities.

Many bronze foundries operated in Vienna at the time of the Secession, but it was Bergman's that became the most celebrated, working with several celebrated Viennese sculptors of the early 20th century, such as Bruno Zach, to produce designs for his famous bronze figures. Bergman's bronzes are especially famous for having used a technique of decorating the bronzes called cold painting. Cold painting as a technique was developed in Vienna in the late 19th century, and involved the application of several layers of paint that were added to the bronze after firing. It was used to make fashionable collector's items. Bergman's figures had three main forms: animal figures, orientalist sculptures and Art Nouveau erotic figures. His animal figures tended to be whimsical and humorous, and often satirical. Today they have become highly sought-after collector's items. Bergman's Orientalist sculptures are equally highly sought after. He produced these figures at a time when interest in the exotic lands of the Near East and North Africa was at its peak among European artists and buyers.