Paul Dubois

Florentine singer / - The Renaissance of the Renaissance -

1865

Adolphe Jean Lavergne (1863-1928), Pecheur, c. 1900. Brown patinated bronze with rectangular cast plinth on a green marble base (3 cm high), total height with hinge 37 cm, width 9 cm, depth 8 cm, weight 2.9 kg, signed “Lavergne” on the plinth. - Base with old drilling and a few oxidized areas, patina occasionally rubbed, somewhat stained in the folds. - Full of anticipation - This bronze is the larger, highly detailed version of the fisherman that made Parisian artist Adolphe Jean Lavergne famous. In preparation for fishing, the boy prepares his rod before heading out to sea. The attachment of the iron ring and the rope behind him suggest a quay wall and a boat moored there. However, the depiction is entirely focused on the actual action of the young fisherman: With equal skill and concentration, he bends a hook to connect it to the fishing line. The contrast with his casual clothing, the loose-fitting trousers, the open shirt with its "wild" folds, and, last but not least, the sun hat boldly perched on his neck, reinforces the impression of the attentive care with which he goes about his work. His gaze makes him appear absorbed, as if he has forgotten the world around him and yet he is visibly filled with anticipation of fishing. GERMAN VERSION Adolphe Jean Lavergne (1863-1928), Pecheur, um 1890. Braun patinierte Bronze mit rechteckiger gegossener Plinthe auf grünem Marmorsockel (3 cm Höhe), Gesamthöhe mit Angel 37 cm, Breite 9 cm, Tiefe 8 cm, Gewicht 2,9 kg, auf der Plinthe mit „Lavergne“ signiert. - Sockel mit alter Bohrung und wenigen oxidierten Stellen, Patina mitunter berieben, in den Falten vereinzelt etwas fleckig. - Voller Vorfreude - Die Bronzefigur ist die größere äußerst detaillierte Ausführung des Fischers, mit dem der Pariser Künstler Adolphe Jean Lavergne bekannt geworden ist. In Vorbereitung auf das Fischen präpariert der Junge die Angel...

Eugène Laurent (1832 Gray - 1898 Paris), Joan of Arc, around 1880. Brown patinated bronze on a cast rectangular plinth with tree trunk and distaff. 40 cm (height) x 15.5 cm (length) x 15.5 cm (depth), weight 6.1 kg. Signed “E.[ugène] Laurent.” on the plinth and inscribed “HZ” on the reverse. - somewhat stained due to patina, traces of oxidation behind the distaff, slightly rubbed in places, overall still in very good condition for its age - The Liberating Power of Faith - At the age of 13, Jeanne, a peasant girl born in Lorraine around 1412, heard the voices of Saints Catherine and Margaret and the Archangel Michael telling her that she had been chosen to liberate France from English occupation. By 1428, Henry VI's troops had advanced to the Loire and besieged Orléans, a strategic city for the further conquest of France. Joan of Arc went to the exile of Charles VII and, with the king's consent, led the French army into battle against the besiegers. After four days of fighting, the English were defeated and Orléans was liberated. Other victorious battles followed, until in 1430 she fell into the hands of the enemy, who had her executed as a witch by the Inquisition. In May 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at Rouen. After the final expulsion of the English, the "Maid of Orleans" was rehabilitated by the Church in 1456. She was finally canonized in 1920. By then, Joan of Arc had become a national heroine and the patron saint of France. After the French Revolution, the strengthening of the nation-state and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Joan of Arc was again venerated and depicted in numerous bronze statues. Eugène Laurent depicts the young girl listening to the voices of the saints who reveal her destiny. With her eyes wide open, she gazes at the sky as if she were looking at the revealed future. Her hands are clasped in prayer, indicating her willingness to face her destiny. Leaning against a tree trunk, she treads with one foot on a raised stone, which, together with her upward gaze, gives her an upward movement that announces her higher mission. At the same time, however, she steps down from the stone to the earth, emphasizing her earthly mission, for which she has already taken the first step. In doing so, she steps over the discarded distaff, which refers to her "lower" origins and belongs to the life she has now left behind. Laurent manages to capture the fateful emotion that makes us look at Joan of Arc in awe, even though she is a simple peasant girl. Even if the design is aimed at the overall impression, the artist has nevertheless worked out certain details, such as the tied waistcoat, very realistically and, in addition to the skin, has particularly depicted the material quality of the textiles. About the artist Eugène Laurent studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he won a prize in 1860. He then joined the studio of Jacques Antoine Theodore Coinchon. As a freelance artist, he supplied the Paris Salon with statues, portrait busts, and medallions from 1861 to 1893. He also created large sculptures such as the monument to Jacques Callot in Nancy (1877) and the statue of François Boucher at the Paris City Hall. GERMAN VERSION Eugène Laurent (1832 Gray - 1898 Paris), Jeanne d’Arc, um 1880. Braun patinierte Bronze auf mitgegossener rechteckiger Plinthe mit Baumstamm und Spinnrocken. 40 cm (Höhe) x 15,5 cm (Länge) x 15,5, cm (Tiefe), Gewicht 6,1 kg. Auf der Plinthe mit „E.[ugène] Laurent.“ signiert und rückseitig mit „HZ“ bezeichnet. - patinabedingt etwas fleckig, Oxidationsspuren hinter dem Spinnrocken, stellenweise leicht berieben, insgesamt in einem altersgemäß noch sehr guten Zustand - Die befreiende Kraft des Glaubens - Als 13jähige vernahm das um 1412 in Lothringen geborene Bauernmädchen Jeanne Stimmen der Heiligen Katharina und Margarete und des Erzengels Michael, die ihr verkündeten, auserwählt zu sein, Frankreich von der englischen Besatzung zu befreien. 1428 waren die Truppen von Heinrich VI. bis zur Loire vorgerückt und belagerten die für eine Weitereroberung Frankreichs strategisch wichtige Stadt Orléans. Jeanne d’Arc begab sich ins Exil Karls VII. und führte mit der Einwilligung des Königs das französische Heer gegen die Belagerer ins Feld. Nach viertätiger Schlacht unterlagen die Engländer und Orléans war befreit. Es folgten weitere siegreiche Kämpfen bis sie 1430 in die Hände des Feindes fiel, der bei der Inquisition ihre Hinrichtung als Hexe erwirkte. Im Mai 1431 wurde Jeanne d’Arc in Rouen verbrannt. Im Anschluss an die endgültige Vertreibung der Engländer wurde die „Jungfrau von Orléans“ 1456 von der Kirche rehabilitiert. 1920 erfolgte schließlich ihre Heiligsprechung. Inzwischen galt Jeanne d’Arc als Nationalheldin und Schutzpatronin Frankreichs. In der Nachfolge der Französischen Revolution, dem Erstarken der Nationalstaatlichkeit und dem Deutsch-Französischen Krieg von 1870/71 erfuhr Jeanne d‘Art eine neue Verehrung und wurde in zahlreichen Bronzestatuen dargestellt. Eugène Laurent zeigt das junge Mädchen wie sie die Stimmen der Heiligen vernimmt, die ihr das von der Vorsehung bestimmte Schicksal offenbaren. Mit weit geöffneten Augen blickt sie gen Himmel als ob sie die offenbarte Zukunft schauen würde. Dabei hat sie die Hände in Gebetshaltung geschlossen, was zugleich vom Willen kündet, sich ihrem Schicksal zu stellen. An einen Baumstamm gelehnt, tritt sie mit dem einen Fuß auf einen erhöhten Stein, was ihr – zusammen mit dem aufwärts gerichteten Blick – eine von ihrer höheren Mission kündende Aufwärtsbewegung verleiht. Zugleich tritt sie aber auch von dem Stein auf die Erde herab, wodurch ihre irdische Mission hervorgehoben wird, zu der sie bereits den ersten Schritt getan hat. Dabei steigt sie über den abgelegten Spinnrocken hinweg, der auf ihre ‚niedere‘ Herkunft verweist und zum nun abgelegten Leben gehört. Laurent gelingt es, die schicksalhafte Ergriffenheit zur Darstellung zu bringen, die uns Jeanne d‘Arc, obwohl sie ein einfaches Bauernmädchen ist, ehrfürchtig betrachten lässt. Auch wenn die Gestaltung auf den Gesamteindruck zielt, hat der Künstler doch einzelne Details, wie die zugebundene Weste, äußerst realitätsnah herausgearbeitet und neben der Haut insbesondere die stoffliche Qualität der Textilien zur Darstellung gebracht. zum Künstler Eugène Laurent studierte an der Pariser École des Beaux-Arts und wurde 1860 von der Akademie mit einem Preis ausgezeichnet. Anschließend trat er in das Atelier Jacques Antoine Theodore Coinchon ein. Als freischaffender Künstler beschickte er von 1861 bis 1893 den Pariser Salon mit Statuen, Porträtbüsten und Medaillons. Zudem schuf er Großplastiken wie das Denkmal Jacques Callots in Nancy (1877) und die Statue...

Circa Late 1920s - Early 1930s. It is all Bohlin made and marked to include the saddle, the headstall and the breast collar. All made in Hollywood California. The only non-Bohlin item is the bit which appears to also be early California. There is some interesting provenance of the fine saddle. It was commissioned by Charles R. Bell, married to Margaret Vail Bell who was the daughter of Walter Vail. On the Bolin nameplate it has engraved, Vail Ranch as well as made for Charles Bell. Charles Bell Died in 1939. The Vail Ranch has some great Western History which I will go into a little detail. You see, not only am I selling Saddles, but I’m also selling History. If you want to skip the history lesson you can just scroll down past the following info to images of the saddle. It’s no secret that ranching runs in the family blood. There is no greater example of that than California Rangeland Trust CEO Nita Vail. On April 14, 2018 Nita had the opportunity to witness her great-grandfather Walter L. Vail’s induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This high honor is bestowed by the Museum to “exceptional individuals who have made an indelible impact upon the history of the great West.” A pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching, Walter Vail joins just over only 200 individuals who have been inducted into this esteemed hall. The Vail legacy of advocacy and ranching lives on strongly through his descendants, including Nita. All these years later, Nita carries the mantle of advocacy for ranchers in her own work at the California Rangeland Trust. Reflecting on her great-grandfather’s induction ceremony in Oklahoma, Nita says, “Witnessing my great-grandfather’s induction with family and friends was an incredible experience and a reminder of why I do what I do. Ranching plays an integral role in the culture, economy, and quality of life in California. Generations later, I get to honor Walter L. Vail’s legacy in my work with the California Rangeland Trust every day, preserving those open spaces for new generations and partnering with ranchers to continue to sustain life on the range in California.” Walter Vail History A native of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Walter Vail purchased the 160-acre Empire Ranch southeast of Tucson, Arizona in 1876, along with an Englishman named Herbert Hislop. In 1882, the Empire Land & Cattle Company was formed with Walter L. Vail as principal shareholder. Over the years Vail, along with various partners, expanded the original land holdings to include over one million acres. The year after Walter purchased the Empire Ranch, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a railroad line, which was great news for the Vail family as it provided a means for them to ship their cattle. Edward L. Vail, George Scholefield and Bird at the mouth of Rosemont Canyon ca. 1896-1898 Standing Up for Ranchers In the fall of 1889, the Southern Pacific Railroad announced they would raise cattle freight rates by 25 percent. They ignored loud protests from ranchers who had already been hit hard by depressed cattle prices. In response, the Vails made a plan to drive the cattle overland themselves without the railroad. They knew that, if they were successful, they could break the railroad’s monopoly on the ranchers and force prices down. Walter’s brother Edward Vail and foreman Tom Turner volunteered to drive the almost 1,000 steers on the 300-mile trip to the Warner Ranch in San Diego. The journey ahead would be grueling. Most of their trip was through desert with water sources 15 to 30 miles apart. The ranchers would face a slew of obstacles—a stampede, a chaotic Colorado River crossing, an encounter with a group of horse thieves. In spite of all the dangers and challenges, they reached their destination. Just 71 days after leaving Arizona, the Empire cowboys arrived at the Warner Ranch. They had only lost 30 steers. The historic Empire Ranch Trail Drive of 1890 inspired other Arizona ranchers to make similar drives as a stand against the railroad. That fall, a group of Arizona cattlemen met and agreed to fund improvements to establish a safe cattle trail from Tucson to California. In response to the united stand of the ranchers, sparked by the Vails, the railroad finally agreed to restore the old freight rate—on the condition that the cattlemen would make no more cattle drives. Walter Vail led by example, but he was also an active representative of ranching interests in the legislature. He served in the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1878 and in 1884 on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. He introduced two significant bills: One proposing the creation of Apache County in the northeastern corner or Arizona Territory, and the other calling for the repeal and replacement of a Pima County fencing ordinance. Elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association in 1884, Walter L. Vail advocated for levying fines on outfits that brought diseased cattle into the Territory, proposed a system of recording brands and earmarks, and requested the establishment of the livestock sanitary commission to oversee quarantines on infectious diseases, and tighter trespass laws. Moving to California In the late 1880s when a long drought hit Arizona, the Vails began leasing California pastures and shipping increased numbers of their cattle there to fatten. This marked the beginning of Walter’s efforts to purchase land in Temecula Valley. Vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) at the Empire Ranch in Arizona In 1890, with growing corporate holdings in California, Walter Vail established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and moved his family there. By this time, he had pieced together four Mexican land grants—Pauba Rancho, Santa Rosa Rancho, Temecula Rancho and Little Temecula Rancho—to form the Pauba Ranch. Eventually, the Vails would own more than 87,500 acres surrounding the little town of Temecula. In 1892 they leased Catalina Island and in 1901-1902 in partnership with J. V. Vickers, they purchased most of the interests in Santa Rosa from the estate of A.P. More. In March of 1894, Vail and Gates joined Vickers in setting up a third cattle company, the Panhandle Pasture Company, with the hopes of expanding new markets in the east. The Panhandle Pasture Company bought seven thousand acres of grassland in Sherman County, Texas, and an equal amount across the line in Beaver County, Indian Territory (later Oklahoma). Walter Vail was tragically killed in a Los Angeles streetcar accident in 1906. After his death, the Empire Land & Cattle Company (later renamed the Vail Company) assumed control of all his ranches and other real estate holdings. Walter had five sons and they would all have a hand in running the various ranches and the Vail Company as whole throughout their lives. The Empire Ranch in Arizona was sold in 1928. The Temecula area ranches continued to operate until it was sold in 1965. Santa Rosa Island, the last of Walter Vail’s holdings, was sold to the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching operations shut down there in 1998. Walter Lennox Vail (May 13, 1852 - December 2, 1906) was an American businessman, cattle dealer, and politician. He is known for his Empire Land & Cattle Company (later the Vail Company), which spanned over one million acres throughout five states.[1] Vail has been called "a pivotal figure in early California and Arizona ranching." Early life Vail was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia on May 13, 1852, to Mahlon Vail, Sr. and Eliza Vail. Career Empire Ranch The headquarters of the Empire Ranch in the modern day Vail left his family's Plainfield, New Jersey house in the middle of 1875 to pursue riches in the West. He worked for a few months in Virginia City, Nevada as a mine's timekeeper, but in November he wrote of his intention to get involved in Arizona's sheep business. He, along with an Englishman named Herbert R. Hislop, then purchased the Empire Ranch along with its 612 cattle on August 22, 1876. The purchase from Edward Nye Fish and Simon Silverberg cost $1,174 at the time and was only 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2). Vail had met Hislop for the first time in August of that year, at the Lick House in San Francisco. Vail also became the main shareholder of the Empire Land & Cattle Company, which was formed in 1882. Politics Vail additionally served in the House of Representatives on the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature for two years, starting in 1879. He was one of five representatives from Pima County. There, he proposed the creation of Apache County in the northeast. In 1884, Vail was elected to the Arizona Stock Growers Association, where he introduced many laws relating to cattle farming. California Vail moved his main operations to California in the late 1880s due to a long drought in Arizona. He started leasing Californian land mainly in Temecula Valley, but established his headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. By this time, he had already bought four ranches: the northern half of Rancho Little Temecula, Rancho Pauba, Rancho Santa Rosa, and Rancho Temecula. Later, Vail would own over 135 square miles (350 km2) surrounding the city of Temecula. He also leased Santa Catalina Island and Purchased Santa Rosa Island in 1892 and 1901, respectively. Vail, along with Carroll W. Gates and J.V. Vickers, set up the Panhandle Pasture Company, which bought about 22 square miles (57 km2) in Sherman County, Texas and Beaver County, Oklahoma. Personal life Vail married Margaret "Maggie"[a] Newhall in 1881, with them having five children: Nathan Russel, Mahlon, Mary, Walter Lennox Jr., and William Banning (who used his middle name) together. In 1890, a Gila monster bit Vail on his middle finger, and for years thereafter he experienced bleeding and swelling in his throat, which was thought to be caused by the venom from the bite. Death Vail died at 54 on December 2, 1906, due to complications from a tram (Trolley Car) accident in Los Angeles. He was cremated, then buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on December 6. Legacy Vail's sons took over the company after his death, renaming it to the Vail Company. The Empire Ranch was sold in 1928, and the Temecula ranches were bought by a syndicate of companies, including Kaiser Aluminum, Kaiser Industries, and Macco Realties in 1965. Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the National Park Service in 1986, and ranching ceased in 1998. Vail was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2018.[2] Various properties have been named after the Vail family including: Vail Headquarters, an outdoor shopping mall, Vail Lake, and Vail, Arizona. In 1867, German immigrant, Louis Wolf, and his Chumash wife, Ramona, built a small adobe trading post next to Temecula Creek. Their Wolf Store helped launch the Temecula community, serving as a saloon, livery stable, legal services, hotel, general store, stagecoach stop, post office, school and employment agency. After Louis and Ramona’s deaths, their land and other Ranchos were purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail. By 1905, the 87,000-acre Vail Ranch became one of the largest cattle operations in California, stretching from Camp Pendleton to Vail Lake to Murrieta. It operated through the late 1970’s when it was sold to build Temecula’s housing. Some of the ranch’s oldest buildings survived in a cluster around the long-vacant Wolf Store. Together they would wait more than 40 years to be restored and once again become a center for community life in the Temecula Valley. ​ In 1905 after his death, Wolf’s Temecula was purchased by Arizona cattle baron Walter Vail, along with three other Ranchos totaling 87,500 acres. The sprawling Vail Ranch spread from South of Highway 79 to South of Clinton Keith Road, East to Vail Lake Resort and West to Camp Pendleton and continued operations through the late 1970’s when it was sold for housing subdivisions. The remaining buildings that comprised the Vail Ranch Headquarters, several having been demolished, have sat mostly vacant since then awaiting their restoration and re-use. John N. Harvey, Edward L. Vail, Walter L. Vail, 1879 Ned Joins the Partnership - May 1879 In May of 1879 Walter’s older brother, Edward Lang Vail, known as Ned, joined the Empire Ranch partnership. He had no ranching experience but quickly learned. The Empire Ranch herds were finally sufficiently developed for sale, and the Empire Ranch found a ready market in the town of Tombstone and its nearby mines. Walter finally had sufficient funds to begin to pay off some of the loans from his Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna. North end of the original four rooms of the Empire Ranch House. Empire Ranch Census Records - 1880 The 1880 U.S. Census documents that eight men were living full time at the Empire: the partners, Walter Vail, John Harvey and Ned Vail; John Randolph Vail, Uncle Nathan and Aunt Anna’s son; John Milton Requa, nephew of Isaac Requa who hired Walter in Virginia City; John Dillon, who was instrumental in locating the Total Wreck Mine; Tomás Lopez, a herder; and Mon Ta, the cook. Section of Official Map of Pima County by Roskruge 1893. The Southern Pacific Railroad Arrives in Pantano - April 1880 In 1880 the Southern Pacific Railroad finally reached Tucson and by April it was extended to Pantano, north of the Empire Ranch. The availability of rail transportation was a major boom to the Empire Ranch as it was now possible to sell cattle and beef to markets beyond Southern Arizona. The railroad also increased the availability of goods in Tucson and allowed for much quicker and safer transportation to California and the East. Empire Ranch land acquisitions are highlighted in red. Courtesy of Dave Tuggle Land Holdings Expand-1881-1882 Starting in 1881 the land holdings of the Empire Ranch expanded considerably. They acquired Charles and Agnes Paige’s Happy Valley Ranch near the Rincon Mountains in 1881. 1882 saw the addition of Don Alonzo Sanford’s Stock Valley Ranch totaling over twenty-eight square miles of grassland between the Whetstone and Empire Mountains. Charles Bell Bohlin Saddle. All of the leather has been professionally cleaned and conditioned. All of the sterling has been professionally polished as are all of my saddles. THE BOHLIN BRAND IS AS ICONIC AS THE FAMED WESTERN STARS that wore it. The late actor Richard Farnsworth sported a recognizable gold steer-head Bohlin buckle...

Polo Bookends in bronze for the sporty library. These were purchased from the collection of a polo player on Long Island who had a beautiful library of sporting books. He also owne...