# August Gaul artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/august-gaul/
Profile generated: 2026-05-09T11:56:12.342Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1869-10-22
- Death date: 1921-10-18
- Nationality: German
- Movements: Expressionism, Late 19th / Early 20th-century German sculpture
- Common media: Bronze sculpture, Lithography, Medals and plaquettes, Watercolor, Etching

## About August Gaul

August Gaul (1869–1921), born Georg August Gaul in Grossauheim near Hanau, Germany, was a sculptor, printmaker, and medalist best known for his animal subjects. Trained in his father's workshop and later at a silverware factory, Gaul formalized his studies under Alexander Calandrelli and Reinhold Begas in Berlin, where he contributed to the Kaiser Wilhelm National Monument. A 1897 study stipend broadened his exposure. Gaul became one of the leading German Tierbildhauer — animal sculptors — of his generation, producing expressive bronze figures, lithographs, etchings, and commemorative medals. The Library of Congress classifies him as a German Expressionist sculptor. His work is held by the Museum of Modern Art, the Rijksmuseum, and other major collections. Gaul died in Berlin in 1921 at age 51.

## Common works and media

Small bronze animal figures (domestic and wild mammals, birds, reptiles) are the most frequently encountered works by August Gaul at auction. These were typically cast at Berlin foundries such as Gladenbeck and Noack. He also produced lithographs and etchings featuring animal subjects, commemorative medals and plaquettes, watercolors, and occasional paintings. The bronzes range from tabletop figurines to larger freestanding sculptures, often mounted on naturalistic bases.

## Market and appraisal context

August Gaul's work appears regularly at auction, with over 500 recorded lots, predominantly small-scale bronze animal sculptures cast by Berlin foundries. Collectors most often encounter tabletop bronze figures of mammals, birds, and reptiles, along with lithographs and etchings of animal subjects. Valuation depends on size, subject rarity, foundry marks, patina condition, provenance, and whether the piece is signed. Editioned bronzes trade in accessible price ranges, while larger or more distinctive compositions can command higher results. Commemorative medals and plaquettes form a smaller but notable segment. Attribution should be confirmed through signature, foundry stamps, or scholarly reference.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and scholarly sources with auction-house records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For August Gaul, identity data is grounded in the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the Library of Congress Name Authority File, the RKD, and MoMA's collection records.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q653742
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500029794
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/22935877/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr99025109
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2099
- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/30456