Carl Kauba ( 1865 - 1922) Antique Patinated And Cold Painted Bronze Figure Of A Kneeling Ranger

Figure in cold painted antique patinated bronze, ranger with rifle, ammunition belt, naturalistic black stone base, inscribed "C. Kauba" on the back of the figure (Carl Kauba, famous Austrian-American bronze sculptor 1865-1922). Carl Kauba was born August 13, 1865 in Vienna, Austria. Son of a shoemaker, Kauba chose to follow his vocation in the world of art. Collectors now rank him in a class with Remington and Russell as one of the great portrait painters of the American Western. His subjects were usually American Indians, calvaries, cowboys, and horsemen. In addition to his American bronzes, Kauba produced a lifetime of Austrian statuary. His work has been fully appreciated on both sides of the Atlantic. The polychrome finish, intricate detailing, and realistic shapes make Kauba's sculptures excellent examples of turn-of-the-century Viennese bronzes. Most were cast for the American market between 1895 and 1912 and were widely advertised and sold by Latendorfer in New York City in the 1950s. Unlike most artists, Kauba's commercial successes matched his artistic achievement . He was able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for his wife and three children. Kauba's studio and home were in close proximity to each other, which gave him more freedom in the allocation of his time. Kauba personally directed the casting of his clay models at local foundries. Kauba expressed great affection for the Indians of the American West. Kauba's work is part of the Harmsen Collection of American Western Art. After his death in 1922, his son continued the commercial operation. Some of his original molds are still in the current Viennese foundry, Fuhrmann & Co.

Literature: Thieme/Becker "Lexicon of artists from ancient to contemporary", Leipzig, 1999. Prof.H.Fuchs "Lexicon of Austrian artists", Vienna, 1975. Inscription: inscribed "C.Kauba" on the back of the figurine.
Technique: cold painted bronze, base in naturalistic black stone.
Dimensions: h 7 1/2" (19 cm)
Condition: in very good original condition.