Bronze with gold brown patina; marble base
Vienna, 1980s
Ernst Fuchs (b. 1930) – Austrian painter, sculptor and architect
Signed ‘Ernst Fuchs’, numbered ‘2/500’ and fitted with the ARA art foundry stamp (bull’s head) on the lower left leg
Dimensions: circa 29 x 16 x 41 cm
Very good condition
Ernst Fuchs is a famous representative of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism; the auction record for a sphinx bronze by the artist currently sets at around €20,000 Euro

The subject of the sphinx was first developed in Egyptian mythology and received its female design with a woman’s head through the ancient Greek tradition. The Austrian artist Ernst Fuchs created a number of bronze sphinx variants, differing in the headdress and type of gilding. The present work revels a sphinx with a gold brown patina and is loosely presented on a black marble base.



The bronze is signed ‘Ernst Fuchs’, numbered ‘2/500’ and fitted with the ARA art foundry stamp (bull’s head) on the lower left leg. The work is in very good condition considering its age; the gilded areas only appear slightly rubbed and the patina shows scattered faint scratch marks. The bronze measures circa 29 x 16 x 41 cm and the marble base measures 3.5 x 20 x 43 cm.



Ernst Fuchs (b. 1930)

Already as a pupil, Ernst Fuchs obtained instruction in painting and sculpting from his parents' friends and began his studies at the age of 15 at the Viennese Akademie der Bildenden Künste under Albert Paris von Gütersloh. Between 1950 and 1962 Fuchs travelled tremendously and exhibited in various countries, until he returned to Vienna in 1962 as a professor. There he grew to be one of the main representatives of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, whose founder was his teacher, Albert Paris von Gütersloh. Even though it was inspired by Surrealism, Phantastic Realism orientated itself more and more towards the technical perfection of the Old Masters and is less abstract than Surrealism. Fuchs' themes include mystical-religious and erotic subjects.

Apart from his graphic oeuvre, Fuchs worked as a stage designer, costume designer, architect and singer. His buildings are characterized by ornaments and colours. The Otto-Wagner-Villa renovated by Fuchs is today the Ernst-Fuchs-Museum. Fuchs' works are shown internationally in different retrospectives. In 2004 he received the First Class Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art. (cbo)

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