Rarity + Provenance
This lively pair of characters represent the ‘ultimate’ in Australiana.
Known as ‘Woman with a Pipe’ and ‘The Laughing Man’, they were carved by the master-carver, Robert Prenzel’, after original photographs by Henry King.
Carved in various native timbers, they are hauntingly life-like – and nearly life-sized.
Robert Prenzel was a renowned Australian woodcarver and cabinetmaker, best known for his intricate work that combined traditional European craftsmanship with Australian motifs. Born in 1866 in Kittliztreben, present-day Poland, Prenzel trained in Europe before immigrating to Australia in 1888, where he quickly gained recognition for his exceptional carving skills. He worked primarily with native Australian timbers like Blackwood and Australian Red Cedar, often incorporating local Flora and Fauna, such as gum leaves and kangaroos, into his designs. His distinctive style became highly sought after, especially in the Art Nouveau period.
Prenzel’s work spanned from decorative furniture to architectural carvings, including panels, mantelpieces, and ceilings. His commissions included significant projects for wealthy families and public buildings, leaving a lasting impact on Australian decorative arts. Today, his pieces are highly prized by collectors and serve as an important link between European artistic traditions and Australian cultural identity.
His ‘The Laughing Man’ compares beautifully with the Henry King original. King was a photographer in Sydney during the latter 19th & early 20th century, and had a gift for portraying the Aboriginal people of Eastern Australia. His works are sympathetic and natural, creating a sense of pride in his portraits, rather than the ‘curio’ factor that so easily defines ethnographic images.
The joy in the face of his ‘Laughing Man’ is crystal clear, and somehow Prenzel has translated the photograph into the wood through his carving skills.
Provenance: Lorne
This pair are ‘Fresh to the Market’: they are being sold by family members, who can trace them back several generations to ‘the house in Lorne’. Set where the bush meets the sea along the ‘Great Ocean Road’, Lorne was a favourite holiday destination for the well-off in the earlier 20th century.
This family provenance places them firmly in the 1920’s-30’s – in other words, they have been in the same family since Prenzel sold them ‘new’.
With some dubious ‘Prenzel style‘ carvings appearing on the market from time to time, pieces with this sort of provenance are important. They will go under the hammer for the first time at Moorabool Auctions, Geelong, on November 2, 2024.
Vintage view of Lorne, Victoria
