Viennese cold-painted bronze figure of a hunter by Bergman

Franz Xaver Bergman (1861-1936), a renowned Austrian artist known for his exceptional cold-painted bronze pieces is the maker of the sculpture in Mayfair Gallery’s collection.

The sculpture depicts an Arab hunter, most likely on his way back home from a hunting session. On his shoulders, he is carrying a small antelope holding its hind legs with one hand. His other hand is leaning on a rifle which is slung across his back. The figure’s head is turned to the side looking into the distance.

Traditional Orientalist clothing adorns the man’s body. A polychrome belt and scarf, coloured in shades of red, green, and white beautifully stand out against the cream-coloured clothing. Around his waist, he is carrying a bag with delicate ornamentation, in addition to a knife in a case made to look like it is made from leather. An ornate metal hanging is included alongside the other objects. The complex technique of cold-painting bronze has been utilized by Bergman to achieve the bright colours on the sculpture.

The figure stands atop a circular red marble base, its colouring and naturally occurring patterns wonderfully matching the rest of the sculpture. The piece is stamped with a ‘B’ in an urn-shaped cartouche alongside ‘GESCHÜTZT.’

The renowned maker in addition to the very fine quality of the finish makes this sculpture a very desirable addition to one’s collection of cold-painted bronzes.