Description:

CARL KAUBA (AUSTRIAN 1895-1922)
A Native American Stepping Into His Canoe,
bronze with polychrome patina
height of bronze (without marble base): 30 cm (11 7/8 in.)
height of bronze including marble base: 33 cm (13 in.)
inscribed "C. Kauba" on the canoe; incribed "Viena" on the water and rock element, and affixed with Rudolfo Eisler placard (Buenos Aires)

LOT NOTES
This finely detailed bronze depicts a Native American man in the act of stepping into his canoe, rendered with the vivid naturalism and expressive tension characteristic of Carl Kauba’s best work. The figure’s poised movement - one foot on shore, one braced on the canoe - captures a moment of balance between motion and stillness. Every element, from the taut musculature and finely braided hair to the texture of the canoe’s surface, demonstrates Kauba’s technical mastery and his fascination with the heroic imagery of the American frontier.

The polychrome patina, with its rich interplay of earthy browns, reds, ochres, and blues enhances the sculpture’s sense of realism, while the delicately cast accessories - feathers, loincloth, and paddle - underscore Kauba’s meticulous attention to ethnographic and narrative detail. In this composition, Kauba unites European academic modeling with the romantic spirit of Western adventure, producing a work that is both historically evocative and artistically refined.

Carl Kauba was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1865, and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under sculptors Karl Waschmann and Stefan Schwartz. Early in his career, Kauba demonstrated exceptional technical ability and a keen interest in dynamic figuration. His formative training in classical sculpture provided a foundation for the realism, proportion, and surface detail that would define his later work.

At the turn of the 20th century, Kauba became captivated by the mythology of the American West - a subject that enjoyed widespread popularity in Europe through literature, Wild West exhibitions, and illustrated periodicals. Although Kauba never visited the United States, his sculptures reflected a deep fascination with Native American life, frontier settlers, U.S. cavalrymen, and cowboys. His compositions were informed by photographs, ethnographic accounts, and correspondence with contacts abroad, allowing him to translate distant imagery into strikingly tangible form.

Kauba collaborated with leading Viennese foundries, most notably Franz Bergman, whose workshop was renowned for its technical excellence and distinctive cold-painted bronzes. Through Bergman’s foundry and others, Kauba’s sculptures were cast in editions that circulated widely across Europe and America, making him one of the most internationally recognized sculptors of the early 1900s working in the Western genre.

Despite his European origins, Kauba’s bronzes resonated with American audiences for their dynamic spirit and authenticity of gesture. His works occupied a unique cultural intersection - romantic European idealization of the New World combined with the academic precision of Viennese craftsmanship

Keywords: Austrian, cold painted bronze, Vienna, art deco, Western American Indian sculpture

N.B. Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions & Appraisals LLC and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions & Appraisals, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

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March 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Bedford Hills, NY, US

Shapiro Auctions LLC

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