(b. 1874-after 1948)
Arthur Goldscheider (born June 6, 1874, in Pilsen, Bohemian Kingdom, died after 1948) was a French art dealer, publisher, and manufacturer of bronze and ceramic works in the Jugendstil and Art Deco styles. The son of Friedrich Goldscheider, the celebrated Viennese entrepreneur, Arthur continued his father’s legacy by establishing himself in Paris, where he became a central figure in the promotion of modern decorative arts.
From the early 1900s, Goldscheider directed the Paris branch of the family business, with warehouses and workshops on rue de Paradis and avenue de l’Opéra. Initially focused on bronze and marble reproductions, Arthur soon turned to commissioning and publishing original works by leading French and international sculptors. He marketed bronzes and ceramics by artists such as Henri Allouard, Maurice Bouval, Aristide Croisy, Georges Van der Straeten, Francis La Monaca, and Paul Philippe, ensuring their global distribution.
FRENCH ART DECO BRONZE WOMAN WITH FLOWERS BY BOURAINE, CAST BY GOLDSCHEIDER available in our BRONZE SCULPTURE collection at Jacksons Antique
Goldscheider’s reputation grew through exhibitions at the Paris salons, where he presented works in both academic and avant-garde styles. He was instrumental in introducing Jugendstil and later Art Deco sculpture to wider audiences. During the First World War, he positioned his business as a Franco-Czech house, distancing himself from his Viennese roots and highlighting his focus on French artists.
One of his most significant contributions came in 1925, when he presented two groups of progressive artists, La Stèle (for sculptors) and L’Évolution (for decorative artists), at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Their pavilion, designed by Éric Bagge, showcased bronze, ivory, ceramic, and chryselephantine works by artists including Marcel Bouraine, Pierre Le Faguays, Céline Lepage, Paul Landowski, Antoine Sartorio, and many others. This exhibition helped define the international identity of Art Deco.
Goldscheider also co-published the magazine L’Évolution artistique with critic Yvanhoé Rambosson, promoting the integration of artists into industrial production. Their vision was to make high-quality art accessible to wider audiences through carefully designed series productions, bridging the gap between craftsmanship and modern industry.
Although his company closed in the mid-1930s, many of the artists he represented continued their careers with other publishers. In 1948, Arthur Goldscheider left Paris for Brazil, where his trail was eventually lost. Today, his legacy lives on in the many sculptures and decorative works that bear his name, as well as in his role as a promoter of the Art Deco movement.