Auction Record - SCARCE CHARLES UMLAUF 'ST. MICHAEL & LUCIFER' - Jan 26, 2025
Charles Umlauf
1911–1994
Austin, Texas
Bronze sculpture; religious & figurative works, mother and child, dancers, nudes
Charles Umlauf (1911–1994) was one of Texas's most important sculptors — a University of Texas professor for forty years whose expressive bronzes of dancers, families, saints, and nudes are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, and the Austin museum that bears his name. Austin Auction Gallery regularly sells and appraises Umlauf bronzes.
Price Realized Range
Bronzes typically $1,500–$15,000; major life-size works higher — auction record $28,000 (Austin Auction Gallery).
About the Artist
Born in South Haven, Michigan, in 1911, Charles Julius Umlauf moved with his family to Chicago as a boy, where a teacher recognized his talent and helped him win scholarships to the Art Institute of Chicago. He trained under the noted sculptors Lorado Taft and Albin Polasek, mastering a wide range of materials.
In 1941 Umlauf joined the University of Texas at Austin as a professor of sculpture and life drawing — a post he held for forty years until retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1981. Among his many students was the actress Farrah Fawcett.
His work moved fluidly between haunting expressionism, neoclassical realism, and lyrical abstraction, across media from terracotta and wood to alabaster, marble, and his celebrated bronzes. Recurring subjects included religious figures, mothers and children, dancers, and the nude. Umlauf's sculptures are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and churches and public sites nationwide.
In 1985 he and his wife, Angeline, donated their Austin home, his studio, and 168 sculptures to the City of Austin, forming the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum, which opened in 1991. He died in Austin in 1994.
Record Results
How do I sell a Charles Umlauf sculpture?
Austin Auction Gallery regularly sells Umlauf bronzes and offers free, no-obligation appraisals. As an Austin house with deep local demand for his work, we connect his sculptures with active collectors. Contact our specialists to consign.
How can I tell if my Umlauf sculpture is authentic?
Look for the artist's signature or foundry marks, edition numbering, and provenance. Because bronzes can be cast posthumously, our specialists can review photos and markings to help confirm authenticity and edition.
What is a Charles Umlauf bronze worth?
Value depends on size, subject, casting, and patina. Umlauf bronzes commonly sell in the low-to-mid four figures, with major life-size works reaching five figures (auction record $28,000). Request a free appraisal for an estimate specific to your piece.
