Emmanuel Hannaux

Le Poète et la Sirène (The Poet and the Siren)

1816-1918

Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 Spanish Vénus de Milo aux tiroirs (Venus de Milo with drawers) Signed "Salvador Dalí EA III/IV" (on base) Bronze One of th...

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...

Beautifully detailed and lifelike, Venus and Cupid share a soft embrace in this remarkable Italian white marble sculpture. The feminine beauty gracefully leans against roughened rock...

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...

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

King Louis XIV, one of France's greatest monarchs, sits confidently astride a prancing steed in this bronze equestrian statue. The extraordinary work is a reduction of the portrait of the Sun King by François Girardon, one of the most noted and influential sculptors of the period. Looking back to the great masterpieces of antiquity, Girardon took his inspiration from the seminal ancient Roman marble of Marcus Aurelius, now in the Musei Capitoline (Rome). Louis XIV is thus portrayed here as a conquering Roman hero, his costume adorned with many neoclassical motifs, hand outstretched in a gesture of command. The result is an imposing royal portrait of power and absolute authority that pays homage to one of the most important sovereigns in French history. It was in 1685, at the very height of his rule, when Louis XIV commissioned the monumental bronze of himself from the great Girardon. As sculptor to the king, Girardon was a key figure in the decoration of the gardens at the Château de Versailles, and he was later commissioned to complete several important royal...

This stylized figural study captures a young girl restraining a struggling swan trying to take flight purportedly by Marius Jean Antonin Mercié, bearing the incised signature “Mercié” on the base.. The work is quite heavy weighing in about 65 lbs and boasts an opulent dark patina. Unlike his signature work Gloria Victis, that has numerous versions, reproductions and casts, Girl and Swan may be of just a few casts or may be unique. With Barbedienne foundry mark on the tree stump behind the left foot. Mercie used Barbedienne for many of his works. Purchased from Toulouse Antiques...

Nature unveiling in front of Science by Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) Bronze sculpture with multiple patina. Signed "E. Barrias" on the side of the base cast by "Susse Frères" (foundry mark and stamp) The model of this statue was commissioned in 1889 to decorate the new medical school in Bordeaux. When he had finished the first version in white marble for the school, Barrias designed a second marble and onyx statue in 1899 for the ceremonial staircase of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers in Paris. France circa 1900 height 58 cm Biography : Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) was a French sculptor . He came from a family of artists. His father was a porcelain painter and his older brother, Felix-Joseph Barrias, a recognized painter. Louis-Ernest Barrias entered the School of Fine Arts in Paris in 1858, he abandoned painting to move towards sculpture under the direction of François Jouffroy. In 1864, he won the Prix de Rome, on the theme of "The Foundation of Marseille", and was engaged on the site of the Paris Opera house. He later produced many sculpted works, most of them in marble. In 1881, Louis-Ernest Barrias was awarded a medal of honor of the fine arts and named knight of the Legion of Honor in 1878, then promoted officer in 1881 and commander in 1900. The artist replaced Auguste Dumont at the Institute in 1884, then succeeded Jules Cavelier as a professor at the School of Fine Arts, where, among his most notable students, there were Victor Ségoffin, Charles Despiau and Paul Landowski.

Presenting a magnificent early Art Nouveau bronze by Belgian artist Jef Lambeaux(1852-1908.) “Leda and the Swan”, is an original Art Nouveau Bronze,...

A very large 24" (61cm) Franz Xavier Bergmann (1861-1936) cold painted bronze group statue, signed, Austria, circa 1910. The bronze in the Orientalist manner & depicts a young slave ...

"The Song" by Félix Charpentier (1858-1924) A very fine bronze sculpture with nuanced dark brown patina Signed "Fx. Charpentier" Cast by "E. Colin & Cie Paris" France around 1900 he...

Apple Dancer by Jean-Léon GEROME (1824-1904) Bronze sculpture with a dual patina, brown and gilded signed on the base "JL. GEROME" cast by "Siot-Decauville Fondeur Paris" (foundry s...