Girardon’s Equestrian Portrait of Louis XIV

Circa 1820

Infused with a crisp modernity and subtle sensuality, this bronze sculpture by Cuban-born artist Agustin Cárdenas is an exceptional example of late-2...

Ivor Roberts-Jones 1916-1996 British Sir Winston Churchill Artist Proof Bronze with a green patina One of the greatest leaders of the modern world, Winston Churchill is among the...

Ivor Roberts-Jones 1916-1996 | British Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Bronze This exceptional and iconic sculpture of Sir Winston Churchill is the original maquette for the renown...

One of a series of sculpted dancers created by the incomparable Edgar Degas, this exceptional bronze exudes all of the expressivity one expects from this 20th-century great. Degas captures the essence of his model in the graceful work, as she strikes a particularly difficult pose of the arabesque. The dancer's features have been manipulated and simplified, executed in a manner that seems almost as if one of Degas' Impressionist canvases has come to life. Degas was obsessed with capturing the dancer in motion throughout his career. He rendered their grace and movement in oil, pastel, pencil, chalk and wax - in fact, of the seventy-four wax sculptures created by Degas during his lifetime, forty of them depicted dancers. Seven of these belong to his series that capture the various forms of the arabesque, and the present work is included among them. It details one of the most difficult and animated poses of the ballet. Degas’ dancer is precariously posed in a study of balance and motion, one leg gracefully thrust into the air as she tilts her body down towards the earth and extends her arm forward. The sense of her movement is perfectly captured in the extraordinary work, as well as the fluid lines of her body. The bronze is a sought-after rarity in terms of Degas’ sculptures. Not only are his dancers the most desirable of his work, but this bronze is also distinguished by the fact that it is a Valsuani bronze, meaning it faithfully records Degas’ wax version’s pose as it appeared at the time of its creation. Most Degas' bronzes that are found on the market were cast by Hébrard – these serialized bronzes are surmoulages, or “aftercasts,” that were cast from the modèle bronzes currently in the Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena). Because these bronzes are second generation, they are smaller and far less detailed that the current bronze. This example, however, was cast by Valsuani from a plaster that was taken directly from Degas’ waxes, according to scholarship by the art historian Dr. Gregory Hedberg. These plasters were created by Degas’ sculptor friend Albert Bartholomé shortly after Degas completed his wax figurines. Thus, they record the earliest versions of Degas’ wax sculptures, before they were damaged by time or handling, and before Degas himself altered the works. The Hébrard bronzes...

After François Girardon 1628-1715 French Pluto Abducting Proserpine Bronze This High Baroque period composition captures the famed narrative of Pluto and Proserpine from Roman mythology. The late 17th-century patinated bronze, created after François Girardon's marble composition, captures the very moment that Pluto seizes Proserpine. The anguished goddess reaches skyward, attempting to escape the god’s grasp while Pluto’s stoic face betrays his knowledge that his ploy will succeed. This pivotal moment in the mythological tale has captured the imagination of many art historical greats, from Bernini to Rubens. François Girardon’s version of the climax demonstrates incredible finesse and artistry, modeled expertly in bronze in the present work by a later sculptor. The statue brings a twist of intertwined bodies into a dynamic frenzy, paralleling the tension of the legendary story. In ancient Roman mythology, Proserpine, the beautiful daughter of Ceres — known as Persephone in Greek mythology — was picking flowers in the fields when she was suddenly abducted by Pluto, the god of the underworld, and taken to his kingdom. Consumed with grief, her mother Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, scorches the earth, stopping the growth of grain and fruit. Jupiter attempts to intervene and secure Proserpine’s return to earth, negotiating a compromise with Pluto and the Fates that allows Proserpine to be released for part of the year before returning to Pluto’s underworld. Proserpine’s journey back and forth is an allegory for the changing seasons; when Prosperine is with her mother, the earth warms and provides bountiful harvests. Upon her annual return to the underworld, however, the earth once again becomes cold and barren. After returning to France after years of training in Rome, François Girardon quickly rose to become one of the greatest artists in France. He was elected a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1657 and would become Chancellor of the Royal Academy in 1695. The artist was approached frequently for royal commissions and Girardon’s Pluto was originally commissioned by Louis XIV for the gardens at his Palace of Versailles. It was one of four monumental marble groups intended to decorate the corners of Charles Le Brun’s never completed garden at the chateau, the Parterre d’Eau. Each group of three figures symbolized one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Pluto’s association with hell made him the apt...

Oscar Nemon 1906 - 1985 Croatian Married Love Signed “Nemon” (on reverse) Bronze resin with green patina This rousing and sentimental sculpture, commis...

This is a one of a kind original bronze surrealist figurative sculpture by San Diego artist, Debbie Korbel. Its dimensions are 41" x 42" x 34". A certifi...

A good antique Italian Grand Tour Bronze and marble bust of Dante Alighieri, circa 1880. The bronze is most likely Florentine and mod...

LESLEY DILL WHITE HINGED POEM DRESS, 1994 patinated bronze 55 x 37 x 30 in. 139.7 x 94 x 76.2 cm. Edition of 4

There is a metaphorical interplay between the natural imagery international artist, Jennyfer Stratman, uses and its multiple meanings. While the human figure features strongly, it is...

"TERAPHIM" Salvador Aulestia's Teraphim exhibition and simultaneous video presentation of the Teraphim exhibition held in front of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" on Corso Magenta...

Stephen Glassborow was born in Hammersmith, England and studied sculpture at the Brighton College of Art, before becoming a permanent resident of Australia in 1983. He is now one of ...