Girardon’s Equestrian Portrait of Louis XIV

Circa 1820

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...

Adriaen de Vries 1556-1626 Dutch Laocoön and His Sons Bronze A remarkable feat of artistry and skill, this bronze sculpture was created by famed Dutch artist Adriaen de Vries. Full of the swelling emotions and dramatic posing so quintessential to the period, the bronze is a masterclass in Baroque sculpture. The original Laocoön marble sculpture, after which this remarkable bronze was modeled, unquestionably influenced the lives and works of countless artists, authors, popes, kings and emperors since its re-discovery in 1506. Famously, Michelangelo declared the sculpture, created circa 35 BC, as the “greatest piece of art in the world.” Adriaen de Vries, an apprentice of the great sculptor Giambologna, undoubtedly sought to prove his skill and creative voice with his own depiction of this most famous scene. Known for his virtuosic casting technique, this rare and important sculpture embodies de Vries’ mastery. The story of Laocoön is one of the most famous in all of literature. As told by the poet Virgil, the Greeks, after an unsuccessful ten-year siege on the city of Troy, the Greeks craftily left a giant wooden horse outside the gates...

This highly evocative bronze by Vincenzo Vela captures the deposed Emperor Napoléon on his deathbed, holding a map of Europe and lost in thought about what might have been. Remarkable among most portrayals of the exiled leader, this highly detailed sculpture depicts Napoléon at his most vulnerable. Nonetheless, Vela perfectly captures his still-heroic bearing, which imparts to this work a monumental quality and quiet dignity. The mate to this figure is the colossal marble at the Musée du Château de Malmaison, which was shown at the Paris Salon of 1867. The founder of the verismo movement in Italy, Vela was one of the great exponents of realism in sculpture. Born in Ligornetto, Switzerland in 1820, he studied under celebrated sculptor, Benedetto Cacciatori. He was also influenced both by the work of Tuscan sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini, who seamlessly combined neoclassicism with naturalism and the romantic painting of Francesco Hayez...

John Singer Sargent 1856-1925 American How They Met Themselves Bronze John Singer Sargent was among the most successful artists of his era. By the late 19th century, he was the m...

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

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...

This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. “Bruce Sargeant is a mythic figure in the modern art movement. He embodies a world that is in many ways lost to us; he...

Polo Pony and Rider Harrison Tweed . Charles Rumsey was an 8 goal polo player with Meadowbrook Polo Club on Long Island NY. He was an avid sportsman, equestrian and artist. His ab...

Alfredo Biagini (Rome 1886 - 1952), Female Face Bronze sculpture 23 x 17 x 21 cm signed at bottom.

Giulio Tadolini ( Rome 1849 - 1918 ) ( attr. to ), Bust of veiled woman Bronze 61 x 37 x 22 cm.

Bronze artwork made with lost wax casting technique. This is the prototype, unique signed artist proof. Sergio Monari is an Italian sculpture, that liv...

Bronze artwork made with lost wax casting technique. This is the prototype, unique signed artist proof. Title "Sleeping body" Sergio Monari is an Italia...