91 - CHERC for Friedrich Goldscheider (Pilsen, Bohemia, 1845 – Vienna, Austria, 1897).

CHERC for Friedrich Goldscheider (Pilsen, Bohemia, 1845 – Vienna, Austria, 1897). "Lustiger Tanz" Vase. Austria, c. 1900. Polychrome ceramic. Bears the manufacturer’s stamp. Signed and numbered. Measurements: 60 x 50 x 20 cm. A sculptural vase in a distinctly Art Nouveau style, with a form entirely defined by its decoration, reflecting the anti-classical intent characteristic of this style. This is also evident in the naturalistic detail of the modeling, the soft polychromy with its undefined and lightened colors, and the dynamism and asymmetry of the composition. The vase is defined by large, lifelike leaves with sinuous, fluid lines, upon which we see the figures of a woman and a child, rendered in the round. Despite the underlying classicism suggested by the figures, the woman’s wavy hair and the natural setting itself speak to the Art Nouveau concept of femininity—derived from Symbolist literature—which views women as inextricably linked to nature, and therefore a participant in its mysteries and dangers. Her ethereal beauty is seductive and dangerous, and inevitably leads man to ruin. The design of the piece is attributed to Cherc, who was employed at Goldscheider’s factory from 1894 to 1914, where many of the models produced during that period bear his signature. In 1885, the sculptor Friedrich Goldscheider left his native Pilsen and settled in Vienna, where he founded his own terracotta workshop. He soon became one of the most influential artists in the fields of ceramics and bronze, with stores in Austria, Paris, Leipzig, Berlin, and Florence. For more than half a century, the Goldscheider firm—considered the finest manufacturer of modernist terracotta—created masterpieces in the styles of Historicism, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco. The founder was able to attract both acclaimed artists and young innovators to his factory, so that great ceramicists of the era—such as W. Bosse, B. Geiger, J. Lorenzl, I. Meisinger, and M. Powolny, among others—worked there. After Goldscheider’s death, his widow Regina took over the factory, continuing to produce her husband’s designs alongside new ones created by the artists working for the firm, such as D. Chiparus during the Art Deco period. Until its closure with the rise of National Socialism, the factory produced more than four thousand different models, both by Goldscheider himself and by other designers. From the very beginning, the factory won numerous awards, first prizes, and gold medals at countless world’s fairs, exhibitions, and trade shows. Today, its pieces are highly sought after by collectors around the world. They can currently be admired in various museums around the world, such as the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In 2007, an exhibition dedicated to Goldscheider’s works was held at the Vienna Museum, and the following year, at the LBI in New York.