Zach Erotic Lady - Bruno Zach
Zach Erotic Lady - (6 May 1891 – 20 February 1945) was an Austrian art deco sculptor of the Art Deco era. His works included a wide range of genre subjects, however he is most famous for his erotic sculptures of beautiful young women. The most famous and sought of these being ‘The Riding Crop’
Early Life
Zach emigrated to Austria as a young man and studied at the Vienna Academy under sculptors Hans Bitterlich (1860–1949) and Josef Müllner (1879–1968). His styles ranged from art deco, art nouveau, sporting, to orientalism. His works would be considered decorative, like Party Girl were it not for his success in modelling erotic sculpture.
Career
Zach became a prolific creator of sculptures featuring tall, athletic, dominating women in bronze and sometimes in bronze and ivory, the combination of the two in art casting sometimes being referred to as “chryselephantine”. He most often signed as "Zach", “B. Zach” or “Bruno Zach”, however a number of his pieces were signed with his pseudonym of “Prof. Tuch”. His erotica sculptures usually featured sexy, dreamy, scantily clad mistresses in stockings, garters, and high heels, even Party Girl has a subtle hidden eroticism.
One of his most famous sculptures is the sado-masochistic sculpture entitled “The Riding Crop”. Original period castings of this sculpture have sold at auction for as much as £ 100,000, one such sale having taken place at the Bonhams auction house in Knightsbridge on 23 November 2011.
Zach’s bronze sculptures were often patinated in mid-brown colours like this Zach erotic lady but were sometimes cold painted or polychromed. He used ivory, sparingly, and it was generally well carved. Zach’s work was produced by several foundries, including Argentor-Werke (Vienna), Broma Companie, S. Altmann & Company, and Franz Bergman.
To view a selection of work by Bruno Zach please click here.
