Vienna Austria Cold Painted Bronze Bird Sculpture

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Description

Viennese Austrian Cold Painted Bronze, possibly made in Franz Bergman’s Foundry. This bird is intact, and overall, it’s in nice … Read more Viennese Austrian Cold Painted Bronze, possibly made in Franz Bergman’s Foundry. This bird is intact, and overall, it’s in nice antique condition.

Appears to be a Eurasian “Grand Tit” bird species. No discernible foundry/makers mark. Patinated Polychrome Painted, in bright yellow breast, with shades of gray feathers and white cheeks details throughout.

At the turn of the 20th century, Vienna was an undeniable cultural hub, where a plethora of makers were producing high-quality goods. One such product was the cold-painted bronze: born in Vienna, these sculptures have become renowned worldwide for their superb finish and interesting designs. These bronze models, which ranged from decorative miniatures to larger functional wares, held great appeal for the growing upper-middle classes in Europe, who would proudly display these pieces in their bourgeoise interiors.

The practice of cold-painting bronze sculptures emerged from the Viennese bronze industry, which flourished during the Biedermeier era (1815-1848), with sculptures quickly becoming renowned for the high standard of finish, the realistic depictions of the subjects and the playful designs. Whilst these bronzes were crafted with various finishes, it was the ones decorated with the unusual cold-painting technique that proved to be some of the most iconic.
As the name suggests, cold-painted bronzes are typically decorative bronze sculptures that were ‘cold-painted’ in vibrant shades. The cold-painting technique involves decorating the cast bronzes with several layers of unfired (hence ‘cold’) paint. They would depict a large variety of subjects, often relating to whatever was in vogue for the upper-middle-class clientele, including animals, erotica, and Orientalist scenes.

Cold-painted bronze refers to pieces cast in Vienna and then decorated in several layers with so-called dust paint; the know-how for the mix of this kind of paint has been lost. The color was not fired hence 'cold painted'. The painting was carried out mainly by women working at home, a typical cottage industry.

This piece has a wonderful patina, due to its age. It is considered a fine art sculpture, designed by Austrian master craftsmen and women, “unsung artisans” most of whom were under Bergman’s employ.

Whilst men were involved in the crafting of the bronze, it was women who were responsible for the painting and decorating, often working from home. Enamel – or so-called ‘dust’ paint – was applied to the bronze sculptures and left unfired. Many layers of paint were needed to achieve the desired, vibrant finishes, making the cold-painting process extremely time-consuming.
This intricate surface decoration made the pieces more eye-catching, serving to accentuate fine detailing such as faces, fur textures, or even architectural features. Unfortunately, this complex technique has now been lost – making the original antique cold-painted bronzes very desirable. See less