Unknown

Gold Tang China Horse Head

Circa 7th century

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...

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...

Crafted by the famed sculptor Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof, this compelling kinetic aluminum sculpture entitled Concentric Rinds brings to life the work of the...

A rare example of late Renaissance sculpture, this impressive Italian bronze captures one of the greatest divine heroes of myth and legend: Hercules. The figure is rendered with stun...

Melanie Sherman Cufflinks: Black Porcelain with Gold Pattern Sterling Silver & Brass Findings Dimensions: 27mm/20mm x 19mm x 19mm Materials: Porcelain, Glaze, Luster Decal Metal type: 925 Sterling Silver, Brass COA Provided Available on backorder Cufflinks Black Porcelain with Gold Pattern Sterling Silver & Brass quantity Melanie Sherman is a ceramic artist, born in Germany and currently residing and working in Kansas City, Missouri. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute. Her background is in graphic design, where she developed an eye for pattern and decoration. In her ceramics she combines her love for ornamentation and her fascination with the history of ceramics, referencing 18th century European porcelain...

yarn-dyed woven silk, gold and silver leaf

Provenance: Manuel Ortíz de Zevallos y García, Peru; and by descent in the family to: Private Collection, New York. This impressive baptismal dish is an example of eighteenth-cent...

“Don’t Come In, It’s a Mess” oil and silver leaf on wood 28” x 9.5” framed About the Artist: Shanna E. D'Antonio is a mixed-media artist living and working in Hammond, Louisiana. ...