William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Magnificent Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Cupid and Psyche by Bouguereau

Circa 1887

An Exquisite bronze figural pairing of two putti with butterfly wings. One putti holds a bow, while his counterpart cowers behind him. A dynamic piece of fabric hovers over the grouping, showcasing expertly modeled drapery, embellishing the composition of the piece. The figural grouping and pose is base off of a painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1925 - 1905), a french academic painter who created realistic genre paintings of modernized mythological scenes. Itasse studied under Belloc and Jacquot and exhibited at the Salon from 1864 to 1893. The artist worked on multiple public commissions for the Louvre (Retour de la Chasse), l Opera (Philidor, Puccini, Cambert), the Trocadero Palace (L Astronomie) and Hotel de Ville de Paris. He specialized in busts, portrait reliefs of contemporary personalities, also sculpting a number of genre and allegorical works, such as The Kiss, The Birth of Love, Astronomy and Science. Amongst other awards he won a medal at the 1875 Salon and an honorable mention at the Universal Exhibition of 1889. Artist: Adolphe Itasse...

MATHURIN MOREAU (FRENCH, 1822-1912) Flore et Zephyr Signed 'Mthrin Moreau' (to the base), rotating socle applied with engrave plaquette 'FLORE ET ZEPHIR / PAR Mathurin MOREAU / MEDAI...

MATHURIN MOREAU (French, 1822-1914) Signed: ‘Moreau’ 19th Century 31 1/2 in. x 20 in.

LOUIS AUGUSTE MOREAU (French, 1834-1917) Signed ‘auguste moreau’ 19th Century 24 1/2 in. x 11 in. x 11 in.

A very fine bronze study of Venus taking an arrow from Cupid her son, who at times would shoot his arrows without meaning or reason into the hearts of men, igniting their desire. Exhibiting excellent rich brown patina and good detail, signed Sul Abadie and stamped. Additional information Height: 93 cm Condition: excellent condition Circa: 1885 Materials: bronze & marble SKU: 4979 ABOUT Jean Sul-Abadie Jean Sul-Abadie (Born 1850 ~ Died 15th April 1890) was a French artist, a pupil of Jouffroy and Falguière. Specialising in bronze sculpting in the Art Nouveau style. He made his Salon debut in 1872. Cupid & Venus Different tales exist about the origin of Venus and Cupid. Some say that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, had a love affair with Mars, the god of war. Out of this relationship, Cupid was born. In the following painting you see Venus with Mars, who is being disarmed by Cupid. Cupid has attributes from both of his parents. Like his mother he is considered to be the god of love, or more precisely, the god of falling in love. He is portrayed as an innocent little child with bow and arrows. He shoots arrows to the heart, and awakening a love that you’re powerless to resist. In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning “desire”) is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the war god Mars, and is known in Latin also as Amor (“Love”). His Greek counterpart is Eros. Although Eros is in Classical Greek art as a slender winged youth, during the Hellenistic period, he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid’s arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. In myths, Cupid is a minor character who serves mostly to set the plot in motion. He is a main character only in the tale of Cupid and Psyche, when wounded by his own weapons he experiences the ordeal of love. Although other extended stories are not told about him, his tradition is rich in poetic themes and visual scenarios, such as “Love conquers all” and the retaliatory punishment or torture of Cupid. In art, Cupid often appears in multiples as the Amores, or amoriniin the later terminology of art history, the equivalent of the Greek erotes. Cupids are a frequent motif of both Roman art and later Western art of the classical tradition. In the 15th century, the iconography of Cupid starts to become indistinguishable from the putto. Cupid continued to be a popular figure in the Middle Ages, when under Christian influence he often had a dual nature as Heavenly and Earthly love. In the Renaissance, a renewed interest in classical philosophy endowed him with complex allegorical meanings. In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine’s Day. Venus is the Roman goddess whose functions encompassed love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity, victory, and desire. In Roman mythology, she was the mother of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy...

Antique (late 19th century) bronze sculpture of Venus adoring herself in a mirror held by Cupid, after the original model by Jean Louis Gregoire (1840-1890), is finely cast with a w...

A very good quality 19th century silvered bronze statue of a winged cherub escorting a young maiden holding flowers, raised on a green marble base...

'Cupid & Psyche' - An important parcel-gilt and patinated bronze figure, by François-Raoul Larche. Signed to the base 'Raoul Larche 1891'. This finely cast parcel-gilt bronze figure depicts Cupid and Psyche with Zephyr. François-Raoul Larche (1860-1912), the son of an ornamental sculptor, was a well-known Art Nouveau sculptor...