Stefan Schwartz (1851-1924) Austrian, bronze sculpture of a woman and dog (borzoi or greyhound). With original patina. Incise signature on side of base. 

Provenance: Obtained at an art fair in suburban Chicago, 1990s.

Condition: Good. 

Size: 8 x 5 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. 

#2279 #4 . 

Stefan Schwartz was born on August 20th, 1851 in Nyitra, Hungary (now in Slovakia). He decided at a very early age not to become a carpenter like his father, dropping out of grammar school at the age of 9 to begin an apprenticeship as a chaser in his cousin’s silverware factory in Pest. In 1867 he moved to Vienna, Austria to complete his apprenticeship at the Dziedzinski-Hanusch bronzeware factory. Throughout the apprenticeship he attended courses at the Realschule Weiden to study modeling and figure drawing, which heavily influenced his work. He went to work at Hofkammer Metallwarenfabrik Mayerhofer & Klinkosch while taking courses at the Vienna School of Applied Arts. He studied figurative sculpture under Professor Otto König, the designer of the Vienna Opera. In 1876 the founder of the School, Rudolf von Eitelberg, invited him to teach there, and he established a new department of “Ziselieren und Gravieren” (engraving). By 1884 he was a full-fledged professor, teaching metal sculpture and creating pieces for the Parliament, Assembly Hall, and Vienna University. Many of the medals given out during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph were crafted by him as well. Schwartz died in 1924 in Raabs an der Thaya and was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Good.