Cold-painted bronze  sculpture of a blacksmith with attributes  of industry was executed around 1890-1900 by Franz Xavier Bergmann (1861 – 1936).
He was a most famous Viennese sculptor who produced numerous cold-painted bronze oriental and animal figures. Noted for his detailed and colourful work, and signing either a ´B´ in an urn-shaped cartouche or ´Nam Greb´ - ´Bergman´ in reverse. These marks were used to disguise his identity on erotic works.´Cold painted bronze´ refers to pieces cast in Vienna and then decorated with oil paint. The colour was not fired hence "cold painted". Sensuous poses of young women in the Art Nouveau style were disguised by a covering that revealed all when a button was pushed or a lever moved. Often carefully sculpted animals, such as bears, could be opened to reveal an erotic figure inside.

Literature : Thieme/Becker "Lexicon of artists from antique to contemporary", Leipzig, 1999. Prof.H.Fuchs "Lexicon of Austrian Artists", Vienna, 1975.

Inscription: impressed mark : ´Namgreb (for Bergmann in reverse).

Technique: cold painted bronze with gold and black patina.

Measurements: h. total 10 1/2" (26,5 cm), diameter of base 3 3/8" (8,5 cm).

Condition: in good original condition, small abrasions of patina (see photo).