Bronze with brown-red patina
Austria, Vienna, circa 1920
Franz Barwig, the Elder (1868-1931) – Austrian sculptor
On the reverse of the hemisphere engraved with the artist's monogram ‘FB’
Franz Barwig was a sought-after animal sculptor, who also designed a group of chimpanzees for the Schönbrunn Zoo
Height: 22 cm
Very good condition
Franz Barwigs works were early exhibited internationally and purchased by major museums in Europe, this sculpture is a fine example of the combination of tradition and modernity

This bronze sculpture was designed by the Austrian sculptor Franz Barwig the Elder, who is considered one of the most important and successful Austrian sculptors of his time. It was created around 1920 and depicts the figure of a chimpanzee who stands on a hemispherical plinth. Characteristic of the work Barwigs is the combination of classical ideals with the current style of modern art that is expressed here in the harmonious proportion on the one hand and the picturesque handling of the moving surface on the other. Barwig also designed a group of chimpanzees in the Zoo Schönbrunn.

Further reference should be the exhibition at the Belvedere scheduled for May 2014, called ‘Meisterwerke im Fokus‘ (‘Masterpieces in Focus’), in which the oeuvre of the artist Franz Barwig the Elder is to be presented extensively.



The bronze bears on the back of the hemisphere the engraved artist's monogram ‘FB’ and is in very good condition with signs of age and wear. It measures 22 cm in height.



Franz Barwig der Ältere (1868-1931)

Franz Barwig the Elder was born 1931 in Schönau. He attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna under Hermann Klotz from 1888-1897 and was working as a freelancer since 1890. Later he taught at the Fachschule für Holzverarbeitung (Technical College of Wood-Working) in Villach and worked at the teaching aids office of the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry in Vienna in 1908. A year later he was appointed professor of sculpture at the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule, a position he held until 1921. At this time he first started to work with Bronze and created mainly animal sculptures and nudes in which he combined classic ideals with the current style of modern art. His son Franz Barwig the Younger was also a sculptor.

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