ANTIQUE BRONZE GRIMM BROS. FAIRYTALE 1914 K.PERL #3

" DER LUSTIGE AUGUSTIN "
1914

RARE BRONZE PLAQUE FROM AUSTRIAN SCULPTOR KARL PERL
INSPIRED BY THE STORY OF MARX AUGUSTIN

The tale of Augustin is a folktale of luck and hope. According to one legend, many years ago during a time of plaque in Vienna, the townspeople lose all hope of surviving. Augustin, well liked and known to be a happy go lucky, cheerful, and optimistic fellow is depressed and deeply saddened because fear of the plaque keeps the town-folk from gathering at the Taverns and Inns where he likes to hang out and entertain with music, poems, jokes and amusing stories.
One evening, in his sorrow, he partakes of a bit too much wine and falls asleep in a nearby alley. Mistaken for another unfortunate plaque victim, he is loaded onto a cart, hauled away and dumped in a huge pit filled with plaque causalities. After spending the night amongst an overwhelming multitude of dead, he awakens to and unbearable stench and swarms of flies so vast they obscure the sun. Unable to get out of the pit, but not quit resigned to death, he starts to play some cheerful music to keep his spirits up. Nearby workers, astonished to hear music coming from the plague pit investigate and rescue him. Augustin neither dies, nor sickens from his experience and consequently becomes a symbol of hope to all of Vienna.

GREAT DESIGN, MASTERFULLY EXECUTED

Signed: KARL PERL
PERL, KARL (1876 - 1965) an Austrian sculptor and engraver was born in Liezen ( a city in the Austrian state of Steiermark) on March, 1876. The majority of Perl´s sculptures are relatively small (under 2 feet). He studied under Hellmar, Zumbusch and Kundmann and worked in Vienna as a sculptor of figures, busts, bas-reliefs as well as medals and medallions. Among others, he produced a series of small plaques depicting scenes from popular folk and fairy tales.
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