Set of Four Franz Hagenauer Musicians

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Set of Four Franz Hagenauer Musicians

About the Item

A four piece, complete, set of jazz musician sculptures in nickel plated bronze. This stunning and very rare jazz ensemble was created by the uniquely creative Franz Hagenauer. Franz was a second generation Hagenauer working out of the Werkstätte Hagenauer, a Viennese metal manufacturer studio started by his father; Carl Hagenauer, in 1898. Jazz reached the height of its popularity in Europe in 1920s and 1930s, and in particular in Paris. French colonization in West and North Africa had contributed to a fascination with African motifs in art, and jazz quickly became a sensation with a public interested in African culture. Musicians, artists, authors, flappers, and socialites converged in Paris and jazz clubs flourished. Artists such as Josephine Baker, Ada 'Bricktop' Smith and Django Reinhardt played to wildly enthusiastic audiences, who embraced jazz as the new sound of the 20th century. The European modernist aesthetic of the time embraced the similarly modernist themes of jazz; Europeans perceived jazz as the representation of American freedoms and decadence from monetary luxury to moral liberalism. This can clearly be seen in these four figures. There is a wonderful energy and playfulness in the way Franz was able to capture them. The set consists of a saxophonist, a guitar player, a violinist and a cellist. On their own, they are fantastic. As a full group they are spectacular, each resplendent in their evening wear attire. The condition on each is excellent. There is minor wear, as would be expected from the period, but there is no damage and no major issues. A very large series of these figures was also created around the same time. They are, at the largest, six feet tall. The full set of seven once came up in auction at Sotheby's New York in 2011, and a set of four of these recently sold at Doyle auction house in September 2018 for $125,000. Karl and Franz succeed their father, taking charge of the Hagenauer workshop, keeping it operational from his death in 1928 until 1986. These three key figures were responsible for some of the best designed, and most coveted objects ever to come out of Europe in the 20th century. Not only did they design and produce stunning pieces, they also developed new techniques of finishing metals. This style of formed sheet metal work that Franz, in particular, designed, can be seen to take influence from the Cubist movement at the time, like the work of Picasso. Although Karl was the principal designer, Franz specialised in sculpture. He studied along side Franz Cižek at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, joining after his studies, at the age of twenty, in 1926. Later in his career he would return as the head of metalwork and metal design classes at the School of Applied Arts. He ran Hagenauer after the death of his brother in 1956. Each piece is fully signed on the base with "Franz", "WWH" and "Hagenauer Wein", each piece also has an early Christies auction house sale sticker from when they were originally purchased by the prior owner in the 1980s. These have come directly from this collector. Made in Austria, circa 1935.

Creator:
Franz Hagenauer (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
Sold As:
Set of 4
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Plated
Place of Origin:
Austria
Period:
1920-1929
Date of Manufacture:
1925
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU919313136761