Bronze of Knight with naked Lady on Horseback, by Hans Guradze (1861-1922)

A finely executed bronze sculpture depicting a knight on horseback embracing a naked maiden by Hans Guradze (1861-1922)

Highly detailed and with a beautiful overall patina, this bronze is typical of the run up to the Art Nouveau period with its erotic suggestion. Standing on a tall marble plinth it is very striking and substantial. Clearly signed on the bronze base.

Hans Guradze was a German sculptor with Georgian family roots. He was born in Silesia and was educated at the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin and Dresden. The sculptor’s creative fate was connected with Berlin, where he created numerous sculptural compositions.

The sculptor was especially attracted to the theme of depicting horses – it would become the leading theme in his work. Gouradze’s works were exhibited several times in the 1890s at academic exhibitions, as well as at an exhibition in Munich in 1898. The Russian school of sculpture had a considerable influence on his art. The subject of Gouradze’s works was often the Russian troika – a symbol of national traditionalism.