Marius Jean Antonin Mercié

David Vainqueur De Goliath By Antonin Mercié

Circa 1894-1910

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...

The dynamic nature of this ecstatic pirouette must be experienced from all sides. Whirlwind examines the forces of attraction and separation in a relationship. The couple’s solid bon...

Franco Mauro Franchi was born in Castiglioncello (Livorno) on 9 October 1951. He completed his artistic studies at the Lucca State Institute of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts in Fl...

Franco Mauro Franchi was born in Castiglioncello (Livorno) on 9 October 1951. He completed his artistic studies at the Lucca State Institute of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts in Fl...

Dionysisch Big Bronze Sculpture Mythology Classical Contemporary Art The sculptures of Margot Homan (1956, Oss, NL) show a perfect command of the...

Last Heroic Season Bronze Sculpture Classic Contemporary Mythology The sculptures of Margot Homan (1956, Oss, the Netherlands) show a perfect command of the old craft of modelling a...

Danse Mystique Dance Mystic Bronze Sculpture Classical Contemporary The sculptures of Margot Homan (1956, Oss, the Netherlands) show a perfect command of the old craft of modelling ...