Franz Xaver Bergman (Austrian, 1861-1936), At the Well

Vienna, circa 1900, cold-painted bronze, with impressed stamps "GESCHUTZT" and "1044" to the posterior rockwork, and similarly stamped to both figures' undersides.

Approximately 16 x 11 x 6 1/2 in.

For a similar example, see Bonhams, May 13th, 2010, "Orientalist Pictures and works of Art," Lot 61.

The biblical story of Rebecca and the well is based on Genesis 24:11-22. Rebecca was the wife of Isaac and the mother of twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Rebecca went to the well outside her city and encountered a stranger, Eliezer, who identified her as the answer to his prayers. The backstory is that the aged Abraham wanted a wife for his son, Isaac, and sent his senior steward, Eliezer, to his homeland of Mesopotamia to find a suitable woman. Tired after his long journey, Eliezer stopped at a well and prayed for guidance. When Rebecca came to get water, she offered it to the old man and his camels, and he recognized her as the appointed bride and presented her with the betrothal jewels of a gold earring and two bracelets.

Born in Gablonz, Franz Bergman (also spelled Bergmann) Senior worked in Northern Bohemia as a metalwork chaser and finisher, and later in Vienna where he founded a small bronze factory in 1860. His son, Franz Xaver (also spelled Xavier), opened a new foundry at the turn of the Century. His works are recognized for their fine detail, cold-painted work, with subjects ranging from naturalistic Orientalist genre and religious themed scenes, erotica, and depictions of animals.

Overall good condition; scattered areas of age crazing and rubbing to paint; a few small areas of paint loss; underside with scratches, slight bend to rifle.