Austrian Bronze Mountain Lion Sculpture by Freidrich Gornik
Austrian sculptor Friedrich Gornik (1877-1943) studied sculpture at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. His first works portrayed small models of animals carried out for Austrian porcelain factories. Shortly thereafter, he transitioned to bronze sculpture. Gornik also had a fascination with the American West, especially cowboys and Indians. As such, one of his earliest bronze sculptures depicted a cowboy riding a horse at full gallop.
This bronze sculpture of a mountain lion reflects the combination of the animal model and the wild West. The stealthy feline, muscles tensed, stalks its prey.
The sculpture sits atop both a bronze and marble base. A label on the base reads “Westel Allgayer & Co., Wein”, a turn of the 20th century Austrian foundry.
5 1/2″High x 10″ Long x 4″ Deep
Circa 1910