What is a Vienna cold painted bronze?

Cold painted bronzes are cast metal sculptures decorated with cold-applied layers of oil paint or enamel rather than fired glazes, a technique perfected in Vienna during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

How were traditional cold painted bronzes crafted?

Figures were cast in solid bronze using lost-wax methods, chased for detail, and then hand-painted by artisans using polychrome oil pigments without firing, yielding a soft, naturalistic finish.

How can you identify authentic Vienna bronzes from this era?

Authentic pieces exhibit crisp casting lines, original multi-layered paint showing gentle age-related rubbing, and often bear maker marks, such as the urn mark associated with the Franz Bergman foundry.

How do you style a bronze animal sculpture in a modern interior?

Position the figure on a mantelpiece, sideboard top, or within a bookshelf styled with leather volumes to add historic warmth and narrative character to contemporary scheme.

How should cold painted bronze figures be cleaned and preserved?

Clean using only a dry, soft-bristled brush or soft microfibre cloth to remove dust, avoiding liquids, solvent cleaners, or chemical polishes that strip the delicate, unfired paint layers.

for sale €2,633 $2,858

£2,250

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Cold Painted Bronze Bird

Bronze Pheasant Sculpture

Cold Painted Bronze Pheasant

Antique Bronze Bird Sculpture

Id #SA1216821

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Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" by Franz Bergman

Name: Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" by Franz Bergman
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1216821
Price: 2250 GBP
Availability: InStock

1900 - 1920

For Sale by Hickmet Fine Arts

Description

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Height: 16 cm

Width: 30 cm

Depth: 6 cm

Circa: 1900

Foundry: Franz Bergman Foundry

Materials: Cold Painted Bronze

Book Ref: Antique Vienna Bronzes by Joseph Zobel

Page No: 85

SKU: 9574

ABOUT

Bergman Pheasant

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

16cm (6.30")

Width

30cm (11.81")

Depth

6cm (2.36")

Declaration

Hickmet Fine Arts has dated this Cold Painted Bronze Pheasant to the 1910s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1216821

Dealers Internal Reference

9574

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. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 1. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" by Franz Bergman

Height: 16 cm

Width: 30 cm

Depth: 6 cm

Circa: 1900

fig 2. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 2. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" by Franz Bergman

Foundry: Franz Bergman Foundry

Materials: Cold Painted Bronze

Book Ref: Antique Vienna Bronzes by Joseph Zobel

fig 3. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 3. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" by Franz Bergman

Page No: 85

SKU: 9574

ABOUT

Bergman Pheasant

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. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 4. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" 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. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 5. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" 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. An early 20th-century cold-painted bronze sculpture depicting a standing gamebird pheasant with detailed plumage in shades of reddish-brown, grey, and red. — fig 6. Early 20th Century Cold Painted Bronze "Pheasant" 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.