This exceptional Art Nouveau lamp was designed in 1898 by the Viennese artist Gustav Gurschner (1873–1970), a key figure of the Wiener Secession. The lamp is crafted from patinated bronze and crowned with a natural Turbo marmoratus shell that serves as the lampshade. From the dynamically shaped base rises an elegant female figure, gracefully merging with the bronze and the shell in a fluid gesture that exudes both strength and refinement.
The design reflects Gurschner’s unique approach to applied art: a synthesis of sculpture, functional design, and symbolism. The use of an iridescent tropical shell as a light diffuser creates a warm glow and enhances the organic character of the piece — a hallmark of the Art Nouveau movement.
The lamp is signed with the model number “899” and “Gurschner”, and was published in the influential design journal Kunst und Handwerk in the year of its creation (1898, p. 46), establishing it as a progressive example of modern lighting design at the turn of the century.
A select number of similar lamps are now held in the prestigious Neess Collection at the Museum Wiesbaden, internationally renowned for its outstanding holdings of Jugendstil and Symbolist art. The presence of such lamps in a museum context underscores the importance and rarity of Gurschner’s early work.
