Lady with a Mask by Emilio Zocchi
Lady with a mask by Emilio Zocchi
Marble sculpture by the italian artist Emilio Zocchi, representing a lady wearing a mask.
Marble sculpture « Lady with a Mask » by the Italian artist Emilio Zocchi (1835-1913).
Sold to private collection.
Height : 89 cm.
Circé by Alexandre Falguière
Circé by Alexandre Falguière
Marble sculpture « Circé » by French sculptor Alexandre Falguière (1831 – 1900).
This marble sculpture called « Circé » was made by Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900). He is one of the major french sculptor of the 3rd Republic in France. He studied at the Beaux art in Paris and became the disciple of Francois Jouffroy and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. In 1859, he won the Grand prix de Rome. After that, he gained fame thanks to two sculptures : Tarcicius and Le vainqueur du combat de coq. Nowadays, you can find most of his works in museums and squares all around France.
This sculpture is now the property of a chinese private collector.
Height : 99 cm.
Leda and the Swan by Edouard Houssin
Leda and the Swan by Edouard Houssin
Beautiful marble sculpture by Edouard Houssin representing a famous scene from Greek mythology Leda and the Swan. This sensuous marble piece showcases the sculptor’s Romantic interpretation of mythological subjects.
The present sculpture represents the mythological story of Leda, a princess of Sparta who was seduced by Jupiter. In order to approach her, Jupiter transformed into a swan. Leaning back in ecstasy as she feels the soft plumage of the gently advancing swan behind her, Leda appears to willingly surrender to Jupiter’s seduction. A beautiful representation of female sensuality, this myth was depicted by some of the greatest artists in history going back as far as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.
Reminding us in some ways of the Dance by Carpeaux, the present composition was inspired by Carpeaux’s Leda with the anatomical curves and the characteristic smile that illuminates the face. The diagonal line crossing Leda’s body creates a dynamic movement typical of Romanticism. The subject of Leda and the Swan is well known in art. It allows a very sensual representation that often pleases the viewer. The plaster model of Houssin’s “Léda” won an award at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1887. Thanks to its success, it was made in marble the following year. It is also without doubt Houssin’s most important surviving sculpture.
The sculpture is signed « E. Houssin 1888 ». Edouard Houssin (1847 – 1917) was born in Douai. He attended classes at the Douai Academic Schools in 1856, receiving many awards. In 1864 he moved to Paris where he was admitted to the « Ecole des beaux-arts » in 1866 in the workshops of Henri Lemaire and François Jouffroy.
In 1868, he exhibited for the first time a bust at the « Société des amis des arts de Douai ». From 1871 to 1877, he was appointed professor of sculpture at the Douai Art Schools. In 1873 he began to show his work at the Paris Salon, where he was awarded medals in 1887 and 1889. His commissions were largely centred on his native northern France. It included a number of monuments, as well as several figures in the Douai Museum.
At the beginning of 1894, he was appointed professor of modelling at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, a position he held until his death in 1919. On January 17, 1894, he participated in the conference followed by a banquet, organized by Charles Bodinier at the Théâtre d’Application, in honour of the poet Marceline Desbordes-Valmore with Paul Verlaine, Émile Gallé, Robert de Montesquiou and other personalities from the arts world. It was during this conference that the idea of a monument to the poetess was launched. He built the Monument to Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, inaugurated on July 13, 1896 in Douai.
Édouard Houssin has carried out numerous public commissions, particularly in northern France. In 1895, Fernand Lefranc wrote in « La Revue du Nord » : « His busts, all of them are of impeccable accuracy and admirably executed». Houssin’s monuments include Child with a panther (1881), Esmeralda (1883) Phaeton (1889), Loïe Fuller (1897), Saint Ignace (Braines) bronze cast by the Denonvilliers art foundry in 1888, the Lifeboat (1904).
He was a talented and well-known artist during his lifetime. Unfortunatly, the destruction and theft of nearly 90% of his work during the two great wars made him a relatively unknown artist today. As such, works by this artist are extremely rare and often heavily restored.
Mr Arnaud Debève, in charge of patronage for the Louvre Lens Museum, wrote the catalogue raisonné of the artist entitled « La Vie et l’Œuvre du sculpteur Édouard Houssin (1847-1919) » published in 2006. This testifies to the importance of the artist and the quality of his work.
Some sculptures of Houssin can be found in museums such as :
-
- Man throwing a stone, Douai Museum
- Love stung by a bee, Douai Museum
- Léda, La Rochelle Museum
Height : 98 cm.
Width: 55 cm.
Depth: 50,5 cm.
Marble bust signed “Pari y Bordonetti”
Marble bust signed “Pari y Bordonetti”
Bust of a young nobleman, a fine high-quality marble sculpture from the 19th century.
Bust of a young nobleman, a fine high-quality sculpture from the 19th century.
Height: 70 cm.
Width: 39 cm.
Depth: 34 cm.
Ondine by Albert Desenfans
Ondine by Albert Desenfans
Marble sculpture depicting the water nymph Ondine who became human, and therefore mortal.
This sculpture dates from the end of the 19th century, circa 1890, and represents the nymph or naiad Ondine. Unlike mermaids, nymphs do not live in the sea; they frequent the running waters of rivers, waterfalls and fountains. On bright summer days, they like to sit on the edge of fountains and comb their long hair with golden or ivory combs. Those with golden hair are said to possess great treasures which are kept in beautiful submerged palaces.
It is said that the fountains are fed by the tears of the undines, which dry up as soon as a fairy feels offended. Thus, it is customary to leave various offerings near the fountains to appease the water fairies, such as flower garlands, pins or bottle shards, which glitter and shimmer in the water.
An identical and equally exquisite nymph sculpture also exists in bronze, exhibiting Desenfans’ phenomenal anatomical skill. The figure of Ondine is extraordinarily true to life, while at the same time displaying an originality of imagination in marble. The suppleness of her body as she leans towards the trusted element of water, the serenity of her facial expression and the manner in which the hands, the knee and feet coordinate, lend this sculpture a particular grace.
The Belgian sculptor Albert Desenfans (1845 – 1938) studied at the Brussels Academy with professor Louis Jéhotte and Eugène Simonis where he received the training that would enable him to build a brilliant career. Desenfans was an independent sculptor who regularly showed his work at countless Belgian and international Salons. He is mostly known for his religious, allegorical and mythological works. Desenfans produced large sculptures on commission for public buildings such as the City Hall, the King’s House, the Palace of Justice in Brussels and the House of the Province of Liège.
Desenfans’ smaller sculptures, executed in a variety of materials (stone, marble, plaster and ivory), demonstrate his expertise, stylistic feeling and respect for realism. This skill led to a remarkable degree of verisimilitude, the foremost trademark of his art. Desenfans’ fame is best demonstrated by his bronze statue of the stately General Chazal with a watchful lion at his feet.
Height : 77,5 cm.
Width: 41 cm.
Depth: 32 cm.
Lion by Prosper Lecourtier
Lion by Prosper Lecourtier
Signed «P. LECOURTIER», this marble sculpture represents a lion crouching on a rock.
Signed «P. LECOURTIER», this sculpture represents a lion crouching on a rock. It embodies the restrained power and tension of the beast. Rendered in white marble, the muscular lion is poised on a deliberately unpolished rock. This rock is made of a red, veined marble finishing in a contrasting polished base.
The French sculptor Prosper Lecourtier (1851 – 1924) was born in Grémilly and died in Paris. Lecourtier learnt his craft in Paris under the direction of Frémiet and Coutant. Although little is known about his life, he was a prolific artist. He regularly exhibited at the Salon from 1875 onwards. Remembered as a great animal sculptor, his works include: « Cheval arabe » (1879), « Chien et ses petits », « Chien bull-terrier » (1882), « Chienne » (1883), « Marchand de volaille » (1884), « Chien d’arrêt » (1886), « Chiens bassets » (1889), « Cheval de trait » (1901), « Lionne » (1907), and « Lionne au repos » (1911).
Marble sculptures by this artist are extremely rare as most of his work was in bronze. However, the same model entirely in white marble is on display at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and another in bronze at the Guéret Museum of Art and Archaeology.
Height: 54 cm.
Length: 54,5 cm.
Width: 18 cm.
Madame de Pompadour by Carlo Nicoli
Madame de Pompadour by Carlo Nicoli
A marble bust representing Madame de Pompadour, official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to 1751.
Born in Carrara, Nicoli went on to carve out an international career for himself, creating sculptures for as far afield as Britain, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and Argentina. For his Watchful Angel or Innocence of 1870 Nicoli received a medal from King Alfonso XIII of Spain. A major work by Nicoli in the United Kingdom is his marble statue of Queen Victoria in Brighton, executed in 1897. Nicoli was clearly a popular sculptor among royal sitters; a bust of Princess Elena of Montenegro has been recorded in the collection of the Quirinale in Rome. Carlo Nicoli’s studio survives to this day in Carrara and has UNESCO recognition.
L’Aurore by Alfred Finot
The white marble sculpture « L’Aurore » by the French sculptor Alfred Finot rests on a veined marble base signed «A. Finot». The anatomical elements of Alfred Finot’s demi-nude of a young woman getting up in the morning, her limbs, upper body, and her gently smiling face, have been rendered in fine detail, leaving the draperies enveloping her body and head undefined.
« L’Aurore » is reminiscent of Barrias’ famous figure « Nature Unveiling Herself to Science ». The style however, is closer to Art Nouveau as the soft curves of form and drapery seem to melt into one another in subtle undulations.
Alfred Finot (1876 – 1947) was born in Nancy, France. Between 1889 and 1894, he studied art at the Nancy School of Fine Arts. He was trained in sculpture by Ernest Bussière. In 1895, he entered the studio of the sculptor Louis-Ernest Barrias at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1897. Then , in 1904 he presented « La Jeunesse passe » (The Passing of Youth) at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Nancy.
Height: 102 cm.
Width: 42,5 cm.
Depth: 31,5 cm.
Nymph of Diana by Jules-Louis Rispal
White marble sculpture representing the nymph Diana petting an animal.
One of the most represented deities in 19th century sculpture, Diana is variously depicted with a crescent moon on the forehead, holding a bow and quiver or accompanied by an animal. The choice of attributes depends on Diana’s portrayal by the artist – as the goddess of domestic animals, as the bold huntress or as the lunar goddess.
This white marble sculpture by French sculptor Jules-Louis Rispal (1871 – 1909) is signed and dated « J.RISPAL/1902».
Rispal was born in Gironde, Bordeaux in 1871 and was a student of Émile Thomas (1817 – 1882). Rispal exhibited for the first time at the Paris Salon in 1893 and went on to win an honorable mention in 1899 and another at the World’s Exhibition of 1900. In 1901 he won a third class medal and finally in 1902 a gold medal and a travel scholarship.
He is the author of various monuments such as:
– « Nymph of Diana », a monumental version of the present sculpture found in the « Jardin de la Mairie » of Bordeaux.
– The Art Nouveau Low-Relief which acts as a sundial located in rue Dubois in the second arrondissement of Paris.
Height : 69 cm.
Width: 48 cm.
Depth: 31 cm.
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