CARL KAUBA (Vienna, 1865- 1922). "Dragon and naked woman". Gilded bronze on marble base. It has slight flaws in the marble. Signed. Measurements: 7,5 x 17 x 8 cm. Carl Kauba studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna with professor Laufenberg. Later he would study in the academies with Carl Waschmann and Stefan Schwartz and in Paris in 1886 to extend his studies. Kauba's fascination with the West was fueled by the stories of German writer Carl May, whose tales of Western adventures were known throughout Europe. It has been suggested that Kauba traveled to the American West when he was in his early twenties, and possibly returned to Austria with voluminous notes, sketches, and several models of Western sculptures. The polychrome finish, intricate details, and realistic forms 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 during the 1950s.