Franz Bergman Foundry Cold-Painted Bronze Sculpture of a Lizard

Item Details

Franz Xaver Bergman (Austrian, Vienna, 1861–1936)
Unknown (animal figure of lizard with lifted toes)
Cold-painted cast bronze sculpture
Unsigned
Bergman foundry stamp to underside at base of tail
Early 20th Century, Antique

Austrian entrepreneur Franc Bergman was best known for his Viennese foundry that produced numerous cold-painted and patinated bronze sculptures. For his foundry, Bergman hired many anonymous sculptors to produce his works. His subject matters ranged from Orientalist scenes, erotic and mythological figures, and animal figures, often humanized or featuring whimsical and humorous objects d’art. To avoid associating himself with his erotic works, he signed many of them with the pseudonym “Nam Greb” or “B’” in an urn-shaped cartouche. Bergman’s foundry was forced to close in 1930 because of the Great Depression, however it was repoened year later by his son Robert. The foundry stayed opened until Robert’s death in 1954; the remaining molds and stock were then sold to Karl Fuhrmann & Co.

Condition

- overall patina; moderate loss to gold and colored paint throughout; accretion.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMG005260