20th Century Art Deco Ceramic Sculpture depicting a Little Girl by Michael Powolny for the Wiener Keramik Manufacture, 1912, Austria

Details

Description

Item description:
Delightful soft ceramic sculpture, decorated by hand and with an airbrush, depicting a little girl sitting with flowers. … Read more Item description:
Delightful soft ceramic sculpture, decorated by hand and with an airbrush, depicting a little girl sitting with flowers. Dated and signed on the base with one of the marks of Michael Powolny's Viennese manufacturer Wiener Keramik. One of Michael Powolny's earliest marks and the exact date of the sculpture's creation, October 13, 1912, are clearly visible on the bottom, suggesting that this is a unique piece created by Michael Powolny himself.

Useful information for evaluating the object:
Internet research shows that Michael Powolny has numerous auction results, all of which have achieved very high prices. The eight highest range from €26,000 to just over €50,000, to which auction fees of 25-30% must be added. We have also seen that even rather small ceramics, such as our little girl, achieve significant results ranging from €1,500 to €3,500, plus auction fees. This gives an idea of the value of the ceramics created by this famous Austrian artist, undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the European ceramics scene in the first half of the 20th century. We all know how few ceramic sculptures from the early 1900s can achieve such results; only objects made by great artists and designers famous throughout the world can achieve such results.

Final thoughts on the item:
This delightful sculpture is undeniably beautiful and extremely rare, made from a very compact ceramic mixture and featuring stunning partial airbrush decoration. Look at the dark colors of the bouquet of flowers, with their sharp divisions, reminiscent of expressionism and in stark contrast to the soft white of the girl's dress. The evanescence of the sculpture is particularly valuable. Note how the features of the face, the folds of the overlapping flounced skirt, or the contours of the feet, flowers, and hands are barely hinted at, yet the smiling expression of the child is clearly visible, which is very difficult to render with such subtle and evanescent details, as we mentioned earlier. Finally, note the peculiarity of the glazing on the hair and flowers, which is glazed in some places and opaque in others, an effect achieved through complex and highly skilled workmanship.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Wiener Keramik was founded in 1906 by Michael Powolny, one of the greatest artists, ceramists, and designers on the European scene in the early 1900s. Just one year later, in 1907, it was absorbed by Wiener Werkstatte, founded in 1903 by architect Josef Hoffmann and painter Koloman Moser, which aimed to bring together all the styles of the era, from Viennese Secessionism to English Liberty, from Art Nouveau to Jagenstill and Arts and Crafts. All the greatest European artists worked for this important factory in the early decades of the 1900s, including, of course, Michael Powolny himself.


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