Italian Art Deco, Equestrian Groom, Patinated Bronze Sculpture, 1920s

Probably Austrian, this lovely Jugenstil desk-sized black-patinated bronze figurine on its original marble pedestal depicts a fawn youth, checking the size of his tail to see how muc...

Dimensions Total Height: 7.5 inches Base Height: 2 inches Width: 2.75 inches Depth: 2.75 inches ABOUT This charming desk figurine in dark brown patinated Viennese bronze by the famous Austrian sculptor Karl Kaub stands out for the originality and humor of its subject matter. The author depicted with amazing subtlety a boy who jumped on one leg in fright, suddenly seeing a frog sitting on his arm. CARL KAUBA (Austrian, 1865-1922) was born August 13, 1865 in Vienna, Austria. The son of a shoemaker, Kauba chose to follow his calling into the world of art. Collectors now rank him in a class with Remington and Russell as one of the great portrayers of American Western. His subjects were typically American Indians, calvarymen, cowboys, and roughriders. In addition to his American bronzes, Kauba produced a lifetime’s worth of Austrian statuary. His work became fully appreciated on both sides of the Atlantic. Carl studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under professor Laufenberg. Later he would study at the academies under Carl Waschmann and Stefan Schwartz. Next, he went to Paris in 1886 to further study before he set off for the U.S. In fact, some debate still remains as to whether Kauba ever visited the U.S. Kauba’s fascination with the West was fired by the stories of the German writer, Carl May, whose tales of Western adventure were well known throughout Europe. Most authorities feel that he was about twenty-five years old when he traveled widely throughout the American West. He then returned to Austria with voluminous notes, sketches, and several models of Western sculpture...

1930 Spelter sculpture representing Jockey and his horse.

A self-taught artist, Piere-Jules Mêne (1810-1879) dedicated his entire career to making bronze statues, which were met with great success among both French and international clients...