19th Century Figurative Sculptures

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...

Luca Madrassi (Italian, 1849-1919) "The Fencer" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, the standing figure dressed as a fencer holding his sabre, a mask and glove at his feet...

Pietro Bazzanti (1842-1881) specialized in allegorical and genre subjects as well as copies of Antique and Renaissance sculpture. Regarded as one of the most talented sculptors of h...

Antonio-Giovanni Lanzirotti, "La Danza", grande scultura in marmo bianco di Carrara, firmata AG Lanzirotti sulla base. Antonio Giovanni Lanzirotti, nato a Palermo il 9 maggio 1839 e...

Charles-Octave Levy (French, 1820-1899) "Salome" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, the standing figure holding a sword between her hands, on a plinth, signed to base. 32...

Large French Neoclassical sculpture of Androcles and the Lion. Exceptional quality casting and patina. Mid 19th century. The runaway slave Androcles became friends with a wounded lion...

After Pierre Lepautre (French, 1660-1744) "Aeneas Carrying Anchises with Ascanius Out of Troy" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, on a squa...

Emile-Louis Picault (French,1833-1915) "Joueur de Luth" [Lute Player] Patinated Bronze Figural Sculpture, late 19th century, the standing figure in Renaissance style costume playing ...

Plaster, raised pins and later coloured to simulate terracotta Height: 32 3⁄4 inches (83.5 cm). Full of elegance and liveliness, it conveys the consummate ability of the artist. Be...

Marcel Début 1865–1933 French Fisher Boy Signed "Marcel Début" on base Patinated bronze A rare and visually dynamic example of late 19th-century French bronze sculpture, Fisher B...

Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray (Russian, 1848-1886) 19th Century, Possibly post humus Cossack on Horseback Gilt bronze signed in Cyrillic Measures: Height 8 3/4 x width 8 3/4 inches....

The Lily by Auguste CLESINGER (1814-1883) Outstanding bust sculpted in white Carrara marble Signed on the ribbon " J. Clésinger, 1871 " Presented on a rounded white marble base France 1871 height 76,5 cm width 48 cm depth 35 cm Noted in "Clésinger – Sa vie, ses œuvres - Le catalogue de ses œuvres", A. Estignard, Librairie H. Floury, Paris, 1900, p.169. Biography : Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger, known as Auguste Clésinger (1814-1883), was a French romantic sculptor. His father, Georges-Philippe Clésinger, himself a sculptor, trained him at the School of Fine Arts in Besançon where he was a teacher. Auguste also studied sculpture under the direction of Bertel Thorwaldsen...

The artist portrayed Ariadne and a satyr as busts in an ideal scene and there seems to be a relationship of complicity and trust which is also evident from the facial expressions. Th...

Emmanuel FREMIET (1824-1910) Gorilla kidnapping a woman A rare bronze group with a greenish dark brown patina signed "E. Fremiet" on the base cast by " F. Barbedienne Fondeur " (fo...

Turkish Horse by Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) "Cheval turc, antérieur gauche levé, terrasse carrée" Bronze with a nuanced dark green patina signed "Barye" on the base cast by "F....

A beautifully hand carved, full size Carrara marble figure of a boy. The robe is elegantly draped with clasps.

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...

Terracotta Statue of Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena Circa 1825-1840 This exceptional terracotta statue of Napoleon Bonaparte on St. Helena stands as one of the earliest known depict...

Emile Louis Picault (French, 1833-1915) "Paris" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, the standing figure holding a golden apple, signed to base. 32" H x 12" W x 12" D. The ...

Emile Andre Boisseau (French, 1842-1923) "Ense et Aratro" [By Sword or by Plow] Patinated Bronze Sculpture, retailed by Tiffany & Co., late 19th century, the standing warrior holding...

This artwork "Chevre Allongee (Reclining Goat)" c. 1860, is bronze sculpture after renown French artist Antoine Louis Barye, 1796-1875. Signature is impressed in the bronze. The subject size is 4.25 x 7 x 3.35 inches, including marble base is 5.25 x 4 x 7.75 inches. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Antoine-Louis Barye lived his entire life in Paris and may never have left France. He was born in 1795 (a date revised in the 1990s from 1796 as a result of Martin Sonnabend's recalculation of the Revolutionary calendar). He is reported to have had minimal formal schooling even in reading, and to have acquired his extensive liberal-arts education on his own. His initial professional training was in metalwork: first with his father, a goldsmith from Lyons, then with a metal engraver in military equipment, and finally with Martin-Guillaume Biennais (active 1800-1832), then master goldsmith to Napoleon. After serving in the army from 1812 to 1814, Barye trained in the fine arts with sculptor François-Joseph Bosio (1768-1845) and painter Baron Gros (1771-1835). He then studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1818 to 1823. His miniature medallion, Milo of Crotona Devoured by a Lion, won an honorable mention in metal engraving in 1819, but he failed to win the Prix de Rome. He worked as a craftsman for the goldsmith Jacques-Henri Fauconnier (1779-1839) from 1823 to 1831 and made his Salon debut in 1827 with a selection of busts. Barye made his critical and public mark as a sculptor four years later, in the Salon of 1831, with groups representing predatory violence in the wild. His first government commission came soon after, precisely for such a subject. The Minister of the Interior purchased Barye's monumental plaster Lion (since called Lion Crushing a Serpent), shown in 1833, and had it cast in bronze by Honoré Gonon and shown in 1836, before placing it in the public Tuileries Gardens (now Musée du Louvre, Paris). In 1834 Barye was chosen for a project that was never executed, the colossal eagle as the crowning element of the triumphal arch at the Etoile. Around 1836 the government commissioned him to execute the emblematic animal decoration on the July Column at the place de la Bastille, inaugurated in 1840. He produced a monumental effigy of Saint Clotilde for the Church of the Madeleine, Paris, in the early 1840s. In 1846 the government commissioned a pendant Seated Lion for the Tuileries Lion Crushing a Serpent (1847, bronze, Portal, Pavillon de Flore, Palais du Louvre, Paris). During these same years the royal family began buying and commissioning small-scale works from Barye for their private collections. Around 1834, the duc d'Orléans commissioned a highly publicized surtout de table representing hunts of different regions and historical periods, possibly one of several tabletop projects that he ordered from Barye. The duc's sister Marie d'Orléans allegedly commissioned a lost-wax bronze of Barye's Charles VI Surprised in the Forest of Le Mans (location unknown; later serial variants), a model first shown in the Salon of 1833; his brother, the duc de Montpensier, apparently commissioned a pair of figurative...

Oriental Chinese bronze statuette measuring 16, 5 x 16 cm depicting a sage riding a horse. Note the accuracy of the details, from the tassels on the harnesses to the under saddle wit...

Paul Joseph Raymond Gayrard (French, 1807-1855) "Daphnis and Chloe" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, cast by Vittoz Bronzier, Paris, late 19th century, the embracing figures seated on a r...

LION HEAD, Italy, 19th Century marble 40 x 26 x 20 cm 15 3/4 x 10 1/4 x 7 3/4 in

Antoine-Louis Barye (French, Paris 1795–1875 Paris) Roman Jester (Petit fou de Rome) modeled probably circa 1874, executed after 1875 Measure: Height 6.25 inches Condition: Very go...

Akop GURDJAN (après)(1881-1948) Sitting Baboon Bronze Akop Gurdjan (1881-1948) Akop Gurdjan (also Hakob Gyurjyan) was born in Shusha (Nagorno Karabakh)...

Augustus Saint-Gaudens 1848-1907 American Young Emperor Augustus Marble This extraordinary marble bust by revered American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens is crafted in the class...

19th Century Indonesian mask made from wood.

Achille Chainaye (Belgian, 1852-1915) "Dancer" Gilt Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, cast by H. Luppens & Co., Brussels, depicting a corset-wearing dancer balancing on a sphere, ...

Cigale (Cicada) by Albert-Ernest CARRIER-BELLEUSE (1824-1887) Bronze sculpture with nuanced dark brown patina signed "A. Carrier-Belleuse" old edition cast France circa 1870 heigh...

Egyptian King Menthuphis, draped in a lion skin, and dripping in jewels, holds up a statue of two horses. Flanked by two birds and mounted on Rouge Mable and...

Randolph John Rogers (American, 1825 - 1892) Randolph Rogers' Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii debuted in 1856 to critical and public acclaim, solidifying Rogers’ position as a pre-eminent American sculptor and it remains one of the artist’s most celebrated works today. The subject of Nydia is drawn from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's The Last Days of Pompeii 1834. After touring the ruins of the ancient city in 1833, and inspired by the stories of blinding volcanic ash, he composed the tale of Nydia, a slave who led her master, Glaucus, to safety. Rogers depicts Nydia at the moment that she and Glaucus have become separated in their perilous journey through the rubble and Nydia seeks familiarity in the surrounding chaos, her distress evident in her pained expression. The grace of the sculpture is at odds with the turmoil portrayed; a toppled Corinthian capital lies at her feet and obstructs her next step, indicated by the tilt of her back foot and grip on her walking stick. Examples of this model can be found in major American collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Literature, Millard F Rogers, Jr. Randolph Rogers, American Sculptor in Rome. University of Massachusetts Press, 1971, American Figurative Sculpture in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1986. Joyce K Schiller. "Nydia, A Forgotten Icon of the Nineteenth Century." Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Born in Waterloo, New York, Randolph John Rogers became an expatriate* sculptor of idealized figures, portraits, and commemorative works in Neo-Classical* and Realist* styles. He worked in clay, plaster, marble and bronze, and lived both in Italy and the United States. He made 167 examples of Nydia in two sizes (varies depending on base height) 36" and 54'. Rogers was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and as a young man did woodcuts* for the local newspaper, The Michigan Argus, and also worked as a baker's assistant and a dry goods clerk. In 1847, he moved to New York City, where he hoped to find work as an engraver*, but failing to do so, worked in a dry goods store owned by John Steward...

This extraordinary walnut wood painter's mannequin, dating from the 19th century, is a rare and fascinating piece, perfect for collectors and art enthusiasts. Its completeness, inclu...

DIONYSOS, the youthful, beautiful, but effeminate god of wine. He is also called both by Greeks and Romans Bacchus. This very fine large Neoclassical white marble bust of Dionysos ...

Lion strucking a wildboar by Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) A bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Signed on the base with moulding " Barye " Posthumous cast probably by Graux-M...

A charming allegory for Dawn Date: 19th Century  Origin: Italian Material: Carrara Marble  Signed F. Vichi , Firenze. Dimensions: 41" H x 10" Diameter  A spellbinding female figural...

This fascinating wooden sculpture, 87 cm high, is a work attributed to the celebrated 19th-century Venetian cabinetmaker Francesco Toso, known for his extraordinary woodworking skill...

Fine Quality Patinated Bronze Figural Sculpture of King Menthuophi and Queen Nitocris. Signed on base, "E. Picault" Maker: Emile Louis Picault (1833-1915) Origin: French Date: 19th...

Emile Coriolan Hippolyte Guillemin (French, 1841-1907) "The Falconer" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, the figure of a young man holding a falcon whilst standing on a d...

Sculptor probably active in France in the late 19th century. The sculpture depicts a particularly famous subject by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875), titled "Le Rieur napolitain," ...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 17" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang puppet shows. Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀, "Shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre art found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, wherein a dramatic story is told through shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters. The art form celebrates the Indonesian culture and artistic talent; its origins are traced to the spread of Hinduism in the medieval era and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern India. Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet...

White-tailed deer by Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) Electroplating bronze plaque with a brown patina Signed "Barye" Period cast from the "Barye's workshop" (made during the artist'...

JEAN-BAPTISTE AUGUSTE CLÉSINGER French, 1814-1883 Dancer Zingara Inscribed F. BARBEDIENNE.FONDEUR with the reduction mecanique A. Collas Brevete seal Patinated bronze, brown ...

Scultore attivo probabilmente in Francia alla fine del XIX secolo. La scultura raffigura un soggetto particolarmente famoso di Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875), intitolato "Le Rieu...

Hippolyte Francois Moreau (French, 1832-1927) "Les Soeurs" [The Sisters] Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, depicting a woman and a child standing among waves, carrying a...

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE (FRENCH, 1795-1875) Panthère surprenant un zibeth, seconde version (Panther attacking a civet cat, second version) signed BARYE bronze, dark-brown patina with r...

After Francois-Joseph Bosio (French, 1768-1845) "Henry IV of France" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, depicted as a child, on a square base, inscribed "Bosio". 46" H x ...

Provenance: Private Collection, Spain. This intriguing and enigmatic sculpture depicts the head of a young African man emerging from a circular opening ...

A 19th century white marble bust of Marie-Jeanne Bécu, the Comtesse du Barry after the 18th century original by the French sculptor Augustin Pajou. ...

Alfred Desire Lanson (French, 1851-1898) "Geisha" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, cast by Casse & Delpy edit. foundry, the figure standing on a circular base, signed. ...

Ferdinand Preiss(1882-1943)

Ettore Ximenes (Italian, 1855-1926) "The Pilgrims" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, depicting a male pilgrim holding a staff carrying his female companion down a rocky ...

Indonesian mask Barong, or a masked figure, is an important part of traditional Indonesian dances. Native tribes still perform traditional masked dances to represent nature or ances...

After Edouard Henri Delesalle (French, 1823-1851) "Sapphos" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, impressed to base "F. Barbedienne, fondeur" and "Reduction Mecanique A. Col...

Terracotta sculpture - Bacchanal. Follower of Claude Michel, known as Clodion (1738-1814), 19th century. 35 x 35 x 65 cm. Made entirely of patinated terracotta. Depicting two danci...

An ornate rocaille scrolled base with garland swags, centered the enamel white clock face with Roman and Arabic Numerals, the face with, G. Philippe, Palais Royal 66, flanked by two ...

Elegant standing Jockey by Francesco de Matteis (1852-1917) Bronze with nuanced brown patina Signed on the base " F. de Matteis " Old edition cast Italy circa 1890 height 21 cm w...

Stunningly hand carved, large, circa 1825, solid Carrara marble statue of the crowned, Roman goddess, Juno- known in ancient times as the ruler of marriage, home, and family, a champ...

Odoardo Tabacchi (Italian, 1832-1905) "La Taffolina" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, late 19th century, depicting a female diver on an oval base, signed "O. Tabacchi Torino". 15" H x 10"...

Circus Gymnast, 19th Century by Unknown (French) creator.