The snake charmer
signed 'Rvd Franke-navtschvetz' (to the base)
bronze and marble
35cm high x 15cm deep (13 3/4 x 5 7/8in), on an Alhambra Rosewood stand, 87 cm high x 32 cm deep (34 1/4 x 12 5/8 in.)

Saleroom notices

Please note the following footnote: Produced around 1900, this engaging sculpture shows a seated man staring into the eyes of a king cobra, his flute rests in his lap as he has the snake under his charm. The richly varied marble combined with the realistically modelled bronze perfectly capture this moment: the snake is momentarily subdued, yet still potentially dangerous, but the carefully worked materials used by the sculptor give the piece a sense of calm which is beautifully offset by the rosewood and ormolu 'Alhambra' stand. Little is known of the life of the sculptor, but Rudolf Francke-Nautschütz takes his rightful place among a fine group of German and Austrian artists and sculptors working at this time specialising in Orientalist and North African subjects.

Additional information

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- 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings