Lamp

A lamp with a motif of a curving female figure characteristic of the Art Nouveau movement, holding a shade of natural shell, was originally designed for electric lighting. The piece is not signed, but the design is attributed to Viennese sculptor Gustav Gurschner, one of the leaders of Secession design in Vienna. In the 1890s he was trained in Vienna, Munich and Paris. Later on he was active as sculptor and medal maker, but in the first years of his career was almost entirely engaged in the design of use objects such as doorknobs, writing equipment, paperweights and, in particular, lamps. He was very much concerned with lamp design during his stay in Paris and in the first years after his return to Vienna; from a sculptural point of view, he concentrated on the design of the female figure, harmonising the model with the use function of the lighting unit.