What is a cold-painted Vienna bronze?

Cold-painted Vienna bronzes are cast bronze sculptures produced in Austria during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, decorated using oil-based paints or enamels without firing, resulting in rich, detailed surface colouring.

How were cold-painted bronzes traditionally constructed?

These figures were cast in bronze using lost-wax or sand-casting techniques and subsequently hand-painted with multiple layers of cold enamel paint rather than patinated using heat or chemical processes.

How do you identify authentic Vienna bronzes from this era?

Authentic pieces often feature foundry marks, such as a B inside a vase mark for Franz Bergman, alongside crisp anatomical casting and gentle paint wear consistent with age.

How can a cold-painted bronze sculpture be styled in a modern interior?

Position the sculpture on a chimney breast mantelpiece, dark wood bookshelf, or desk to add historical texture within traditional or rustic interiors.

How should cold-painted bronze figures be cleaned and preserved?

Dust gently using a soft, dry camel-hair brush, avoiding water, chemical solvents, or brass polish which will strip the delicate, unfired paint layer.

for sale €4,622 $5,017

£3,950

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Cold Painted Bronze Figurine

Antique Bronze Bird Sculpture

Id #SA1207945

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Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Name: Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1207945
Price: 3950 GBP
Availability: InStock

1900 - 1920

For Sale by Hickmet Fine Arts

Description

A very fine Austrian Bronze animalier bronze study of a standing red Grouse with excellent naturalistic cold painted colours and fine intricate detail, signed with the Bergman ‘B’ in an amphora vase

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Height: 21 cm

Width: 20 cm

Depth: 8 cm

Circa: 1900

Foundry: Franz Bergman Foundry

Materials: Cold Painted Bronze

Book Ref: Antique Vienna Bronzes by Joseph Zobel

Page No: 85

SKU: 9593

ABOUT

Bergman Grouse

Franz Bergman Sculptures

Franz Bergman (1861–1936) was one of the most celebrated Viennese makers of cold-painted bronze sculptures, renowned for his highly detailed and often exotic subjects. Working in Vienna during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bergman produced a wide range of figures that captured the imagination of collectors, combining fine casting with meticulous hand-applied colour.

Cold painting, a technique in which pigments are applied directly onto the bronze surface rather than fired, allowed for remarkable realism and vibrancy. Bergman’s workshop became particularly known for its animalier subjects, including finely observed studies of cats, dogs, birds, and more unusual creatures such as reptiles. Lizards, frogs, snakes, and other small animals were rendered with striking accuracy, their textures and natural colouring carefully depicted through delicate brushwork. These pieces often conveyed a sense of liveliness and character, despite their modest scale.

In addition to animals, Bergman also produced Orientalist figures, erotic subjects, and humorous compositions, many marked with the distinctive “B” in an urn-shaped cartouche. His work reflects both technical mastery and a fascination with storytelling through sculpture.

Today, Bergman bronzes are highly sought after for their craftsmanship, condition of original paint, and variety of subject matter. Animal and reptile examples, in particular, are prized for their charm, naturalism, and decorative appeal, representing a unique fusion of sculpture and painting in early 20th-century Vienna.

Physical Dimensions

Height

21cm (8.27")

Width

20cm (7.87")

Depth

8cm (3.15")

Declaration

Hickmet Fine Arts has dated this Cold Painted Bronze Grouse to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1207945

Dealers Internal Reference

9593

Dealers Notes

Please contact us for a shipping quotes.

Viewing can be arranged at our gallery and everything sold by Hickmet Fine Arts comes with a full certificate of Authenticity and Valuation.

If you have enjoyed seeing this item and wish to see more quality pieces please visit our website www.hickmet.com

Description

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

fig 1. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 1. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Height: 21 cm

Width: 20 cm

Depth: 8 cm

Circa: 1900

fig 2. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 2. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Foundry: Franz Bergman Foundry

Materials: Cold Painted Bronze

Book Ref: Antique Vienna Bronzes by Joseph Zobel

fig 3. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 3. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Page No: 85

SKU: 9593

ABOUT

Bergman Grouse

Franz Bergman Sculptures

“

Franz Bergman (1861–1936) was one of the most celebrated Viennese makers of cold-painted bronze sculptures, renowned for his highly detailed and often exotic subjects.

Hickmet Fine Arts

Working in Vienna during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bergman produced a wide range of figures that captured the imagination of collectors, combining fine casting with meticulous hand-applied colour.

fig 4. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 4. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Cold painting, a technique in which pigments are applied directly onto the bronze surface rather than fired, allowed for remarkable realism and vibrancy. Bergman’s workshop became particularly known for its animalier subjects, including finely observed studies of cats, dogs, birds, and more unusual creatures such as reptiles. Lizards, frogs, snakes, and other small animals were rendered with striking accuracy, their textures and natural colouring carefully depicted through delicate brushwork. These pieces often conveyed a sense of liveliness and character, despite their modest scale.

fig 5. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 5. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

In addition to animals, Bergman also produced Orientalist figures, erotic subjects, and humorous compositions, many marked with the distinctive “B” in an urn-shaped cartouche. His work reflects both technical mastery and a fascination with storytelling through sculpture.

fig 6. A cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing grouse bird with detailed feather texturing in brown, red, and green tones. — fig 6. Early 20th Century Cold-painted Bronze of a "Standing Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Today, Bergman bronzes are highly sought after for their craftsmanship, condition of original paint, and variety of subject matter. Animal and reptile examples, in particular, are prized for their charm, naturalism, and decorative appeal, representing a unique fusion of sculpture and painting in early 20th-century Vienna.