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Art Subject: Head
"Indonesian Mask, " Wood with Gold Leaf of Smiling Man
Located in Milwaukee, WI
This mask was made by an unknown Indonesian sculpture. It is carved out of wood and covered in gold leaf. It features an abstracted face and is 7" tall by 5 1/2" wide.
Category

19th Century Folk Art Sculptures

Materials

Gold Leaf

Leo Berger "Skater" Patinated Bronze
Located in Astoria, NY
Leo Berger (Swiss, 1885-1973) "Skater" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, early 20th century, possibly depicting the Swedish ice skater Gillis Grafstrom, on a marble plinth, signed "L Berge...
Category

Early 20th Century Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Aquila Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Marble Stone Contemporary In Stock
Located in Utrecht, NL
Aquila Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Marble Stone Contemporary In Stock - Sculpture without Stone is 57 cm high Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Carrara Marble Busts of the Emperor Napoleon and Empress Marie Louise
Located in New Orleans, LA
"I am a true Roman Emperor; I am of the best race of the Caesars—those who are founders." –Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812 Among the most iconic and celebrated figures in history, Napoleon...
Category

19th Century Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Agnus dei - Puerta de sagrario - Siglo XVII
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Muy interesante puerta de sagrario de madera tallada y policromada del siglo xvii. Es de comienzos del barroco, hay la representación del agnus dei con...
Category

17th Century Baroque Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood Panel

“fascination”
Located in Warren, NJ
This is a Original Bill Mack “fascination” signed and numbered bronze.. in good condition minor chip on frame. If you have any questions please ask. Willing to ship if you cover all ...
Category

20th Century Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

"LarA 008". Light Gray Mistical ArchitecturalTinted Sculpture Bust in Cement
Located in FISTERRA, ES
"LarA 008" is a light gray cement bust from the LarA series by Spanish sculptor José Perozo, created in 2024. The sculpture presents a fusion of human form and urban structure, where...
Category

2010s Surrealist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Concrete

Buffalo Dancer Medallion, bronze pueblo buffalo dancer dark brown, Allan Houser
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Bronze medallion depicting a Pueblo Buffalo Dancer in relief form. Among Houser's first bronze work created and cast in the artist's lifetime at Nambe F...
Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Quis Mihi Iniuriam Facet Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Marble In Stock I
Located in Utrecht, NL
Sizes including stone pedestal 97 x 22 x 22 cm Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profession as a teacher at a high school, he intensively practises his profession as a sculptor. Only when his work would measure up to his own standards, he decided to present it to the rest of the world. In 1995, he exhibited for the first time with Morren Galleries. Van der Kant desires to sculpt young people who still stand uninhibited and curiously in life. The reason he chooses to sculpt boys is, because he is one himself, this way the subject is closer to him. The anatomy of his figures testify of perfectionism. Van der Kant's subjects show similarities with the sculptures from the Greek and Roman antiquity...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bone White Cement Sculpture - "LarA 010", Human Form & Architecture, 2024
Located in FISTERRA, ES
"LarA 010" is a unique sculpture from the LarA series, created by Spanish sculptor Jose Perozo in 2024. Measuring 21 x 29 x 17 cm, this piece blends the female figure with architectu...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Concrete

''Umbrella'' Dutch Contemporary Bronze Sculpture of Woman Under an Umbrella
Located in Utrecht, NL
Karin Beek's (1948) bronze sculptures are characterized by a friendly, round and at the same time monumental style. They breathe the atmosphere of everyday life. Beek would like her ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Modernist Bronze Sculpture of a Nude Woman
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstracted sculpture of a nude woman by Francis Xavier "Frank" Bracken (American, 20th Century). Signed, dated and numbered "Francis X. Bracken 1981 2/7...
Category

1980s Art Nouveau Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Steel

African Boy
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful ca. 1970s sculpture depicting African boy. Carved and stained hardwood. Some splits in wood consistent with age, not damage. Signed indistinctly on back of platform.
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Danseuse au Voile, Renoir, Sculpture, impressionism, naked woman, nude, bronze
Located in Geneva, CH
PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841-1919) La Danseuse au Voile Cast in 1964 Ed. 14/20 pcs / Conceived in 1913 Bronze with a black patina 64 x 46 x 28 cm Signed, foundry's stamp and numbered ...
Category

1910s Impressionist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Mother Happiness / - The ecstasy of maternal joy -
Located in Berlin, DE
Johannes Boese (1856 Ostrog - 1917 Berlin), Mutterglück, um 1910. Goldbraun patinierte Bronze auf gegossener rechteckiger Plinthe, montiert auf zweifarbigem Marmorsockel (9,5 cm Höhe...
Category

1910s Art Nouveau Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Rex Dietderich "Frank, Age 14" Original Bronze Sculpture c.1970
Located in San Francisco, CA
Rex Dietderich (American, 20th C.) "Frank, Age 14" Original Bronze Sculpture C.1970s The walnut base measures 7" wide x 3.5" deep x 2.5" high The bronze bust measures 7" wide x 4" ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Gabriella Bronze Sculpture
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Angelo Basso (Italy, 1943 – 2011) Gabriella  Dimensions 17.0" W x 18.0" H x 7.0" D This sculpture was cast in the Dyansen Studios Foundry in 1991 under...
Category

1980s Baroque Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Apple Dancer
Located in PARIS, FR
Apple Dancer by Jean-Léon GEROME (1824-1904) Bronze sculpture with a dual patina, brown and gilded signed on the base "JL. GEROME" cast by "Siot-Decauville Fondeur Paris" (foundry s...
Category

1890s Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

“Brilliance”
Located in Warren, NJ
This is a Bill Mack original sculpture “” signed and numbered. In excellent shape. Buyer must cover any additional shipping expense. measures 55x37
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

“Wings in the Wild”
Located in Warren, NJ
Moana Ponder original bronze “wings in the wind”. In good condition measures 33x9
Category

20th Century Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Leda and the Swan
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a magnificent early Art Nouveau bronze by Belgian artist Jef Lambeaux(1852-1908.) “Leda and the Swan”, is an original Art Nouveau Bronze,...
Category

1880s Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Faces (1/1)" (2023), Bronze Wall Installation by Bill Starke
Located in Denver, CO
"Faces" is a single edition bronze wall sculpture created by Bill Starke, depicting three finely carved human heads from differing perspectives. "Faces" is a single edition install...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Embrione - hand carved abstract figurative nude white Carrara marble sculpture
Located in San Francisco, CA
EMBRIONE by Lorenzo Vignoli striking hand carved Carrara marble sculpture by contemporary Italian sculptor Lorenzo Vignoli, incorporating classical references and contemporary Medit...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Marble, Carrara Marble

Insilit Bronze Marble Stone Nude Contemporary Sculpture Boy Jumping In Stock
Located in Utrecht, NL
Insilit Bronze Marble Stone Nude Contemporary Sculpture Boy Jumping In Stock - Sizes of sculpture, without Stone pedestal : 40 x 32 x 22 cm Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a sel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Toy Soldier #5 (Prone Position) by Yoram Wolberger
Located in Orange, CA
Toy Soldier #5 (Prone Position) by Yoram Wolberger Additional information: Medium: 3D digital scanning, CNC digital sculpting, Reinforced Fiberglass Composite, Urethane Dimensions: ...
Category

2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Fiberglass

Victor Heinrich Seifert Bronze "Die Trinkende", 1922
Located in Berlin, DE
Woman nude sculpture, 1922 by Victor Heinrich Seifert ( 1870-1953 ), Vienna. Bronze on marble base. Signed on the base: Victor H. Seifert. Height: 27.56 in ( 70 cm ), Width: 8.07 in...
Category

1920s Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

'Teacher or Preacher' original signed Shona stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Teacher or Preacher' is an original black serpentine sculpture by the celebrated second generation Shona artist Colleen Madamombe. The sculpture presents a character common to Madam...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

German Expressionist Bronze Relief Plaque Mans Best Friend, a Man and His Dog
Located in Surfside, FL
Mans Best Friend C.M. Junghans 1985 This is done in a German Expressionist style. It is bronze over some sort of fill. It depicts a man gentleman and his dog. a Cocker Spaniel or Co...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Self-Made Man 24"
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Signature of the Artist engraved in the bronze base of the piece with an edition number. 201/350
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Eighteenth-century Grand Tour marble bust of Faustina the Younger
Located in London, GB
Signed and dated: ‘F. Harwood Fecit 1764’ Collections: Probably commissioned by Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743-1827); Probably by descent at Gordon Castle, Banffshire to c.1948; Possibly acquired by Bert Crowther of Syon Lodge, Middlesex; Jacques Hollander (1940-2004); Christie’s, 5 December 2013, lot 101; Private collection; Sotheby’s, 2 July 2019, lot 106 Literature: John Preston Neale, Views of the seats of noblemen and gentlemen, in England, Wales and Scotland, London, 1822, vol.I, unpaginated. This marble copy of an ancient bust in the Musei Capitolini usually identified as Faustina the Younger, the daughter of Antoninus Pius and future wife of Marcus Aurelius, was made in Florence by Francis Harwood in 1764. Harwood was one of the most prolific suppliers of decorative marbles for the Grand Tour market and this finely worked example demonstrates the quality of luxury goods available to travellers to Italy. So often anonymous, this unusually signed and dated example, raises questions about the status of marble copies in the period and of sculptors such as Harwood who are known principally for ornamental work. Harwood’s origins remain obscure. He is documented living in Palazzo Zuccari with Joshua Reynolds and the Irish sculptor Simon Vierpyl at Easter 1752, he had certainly settled permanently in Florence by the following year, when he is recorded working with Joseph Wilton. He was admitted to the Florentine Academy on 12 January 1755 (as pittore Inglese, although he was described as scultore in the matriculation account). After Wilson returned to England in 1755 Harwood appears to have worked in a studio near SS. Annunziata with Giovanni Battista Piamontini who had made life-size copies of The Wrestlers and The Listening Slave for Joseph Leeson in 1754. In 1758 both sculptors were contracted to make a statue and a trophy to complete the decoration of the Porta San Gallo, Harwood completing a statue of Equality, installed the following year. By 1760 Harwood was on the brink of his most productive period as a sculptor, producing copies of celebrated antiquities for the ever-increasing audience of Grand Tour travellers and for the domestic market in London. In 1761 Harwood met the young architect James Adam who was in Italy specifically to make contact with suppliers for Robert Adam’s burgeoning practice back in Britain. The Adams offered a remarkably cohesive design package to their clients, encompassing not just architecture, but fixtures, fittings and furniture as well. Harwood was able to supply the brothers with marbles for their new interiors. At Syon, for example, Harwood produced a full-size copy of Michelangelo’s Bacchus for the new dining room the Adams had designed for Hugh Smythson, 1st Duke of Northumberland. Harwood seems to have also specialised in producing sets of library busts. In 1758 Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton, a distinguished traveller commissioned a set of busts which remain in situ at Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire. It is perhaps no coincidence that the Adam brothers were producing designs for new interiors at Castle Ashby at this date. The set included representations of: Cicero, Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Faustina the Younger, Sappho, Seneca and Homer. Each of these busts Harwood seems to have replicated for multiple patrons, another Adam patron, Thomas Dundas...
Category

18th Century Old Masters Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

The Pleiades-Celaeno 4/8 - emotive, nude, female, figurative, bronze statuette
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Canadian artist Richard Tosczak is known for his beautiful figurative sculptures. This bronze statuette of a nude female leaning as if against a wall, hands behind her back was first...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Apollo Marble Bust Sculpture of Grand Tour Mythological subject 1850'
Located in Rome, IT
Finely carved mythological subject in white Carrara marble of Apollo bust .
Category

20th Century Academic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Niemand (UE)
Located in Denver, CO
In German, the meaning of the word "niemand" ranges from nobody, none, and no one to anybody. Apply that to Viktor's unique sculptures and a dose of humorous social commentary meets...
Category

2010s Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Paint, Polyurethane

ERTE "THE MYSTIC" 1984, BRONZE SCULPTURE
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
"The Mystic" (Bronze) by Erte Type: Sculpture Media: Patina on Bronze Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 9 1/4" Year Produced: 1989 Edition Size: 375 Numbered, 37 AP Edition Number: 92/375 In Exc...
Category

1980s Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Eugene Antoine Aizelin (French, 1821-1902) Patinated Bronze of Psyche
By Eugene-Antoine Aizelin
Located in New York, NY
This fabulous figural bronze statue of Psyche by the Barbedienne Foundry is simply exquisite. Remnants of a lovely green oxidation, nestled within the corners, curves and crevices of...
Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Neoclassical Terracotta Bust of Emperor Caracalla and Cicero
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of 19' century Italian Marble imitation painted Terracotta . Bust of Emperor Caracalla and Cicero . Measurements : cm 71 H x 60 Available also a pair marble imitation colum...
Category

1870s Academic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Keith Haring Andy Mouse Bearbrick 400% (Haring Warhol BE@RBRICK)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Andy Mouse Bearbrick: 400%: A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Keith Haring. The partnered collectible reveals Keith Haring's 'Andy M...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

Reclining Nude resin bronze sculpture of a girl
Located in London, GB
To see more, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller." Reclining Nude Resin bronze 56 x 26 cm An enigmatic resin bronze sculpture of...
Category

Late 20th Century Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Algeo Bronze Nude Male Figure Sculpture Boy Marble Stone - In Stock
Located in Utrecht, NL
Algeo Bronze Nude Male Figure Sculpture Boy Marble Stone - In Stock Beautiful intimate sculpture of a boy, nude bronze male figure in a grey pat...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Palabres by Marine de Soos - Large bronze sculpture, human figure, man, nude
Located in Paris, FR
Palabres is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Marine de Soos, dimensions are 150 × 80 × 65 cm (59.1 × 31.5 × 25.6 in). The sculpture is signed and numbered, it is par...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Swimmer I - figurative sculpture
Located in New York, NY
This sculpture is from Orly's latest body of works. It is part of an edition of 15 and comes signed and numbered. It is made of Jasmonite casting and covered with acrylic paint. "I ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic

A French 19th Century Carved Marble Whimsical Figural Urn Fountain with Children
Located in LA, CA
A very fine large, rare and charming, French, 19th century. Belle Époque carved white marble whimsical figural urn fountain depicting children climbing on an urn with flowers and gar...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Contemporary Bronze Sculptor. Dance of Life.
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
"Sculptor Marsha Gertenbach signed and numbered this bronze sculpture, edition 5/10. Here is the artist's message about this unique piece: In every loving relationship we experience...
Category

2010s Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Woman Seated A Bronze Sculpture of a Woman by Charles Rumsey
Located in Brookville, NY
The bronze sculpture of a woman by Charles Rumsey is undated, but was created at a point in his career where he began to transition from realism to more modern, looser depictions of ...
Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Jeune Femme Debout, les Bras sur la Tête – Bronze by Henri Parayre (1879-1970)
Located in Gent, VOV
Henri Ernest Parayre’s Jeune femme debout les bras sur la tête is a striking embodiment of early 20th-century French sculpture, seamlessly blending classical inspiration with the eme...
Category

Early 20th Century Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Arethusa immerses herself in the Alpheus river - figurative, bronze statuette
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large bronze statuette of a reclining nude with legs outstretched, arms tucked in and straining to sit up was created rapidly in gestures that verge on abstraction. The modern and dynamic formalism that departs from realism allows the viewer to focus on emotive qualities of pure form. This is number 1 in an edition of 8. Tosczak is a Belgian-born, Edmonton-based figurative sculptor. He studied philosophy and modernist sculpture, working in steel, at the University of Alberta where a number of the professors had a strong affiliation with Sir Anthony Caro and Clement Greenberg. Richard pursued further artistic training in the Loire Valley with Martine Vaugel...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

SOPHIA: “The Birth of Culture” Peter Brenner - Bronze sculpture, mythology
Located in Paris, FR
Sophia: “the Birth of Culture” is a sculpture by Guatemalan artist Walter Peter Brenner, dimensions are 100 × 41 × 21 cm (39.3 × 16.1 × 8.3 in). This sculpture is part of a limited...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Vincent III - Sculpture by Dutch Artist Romee Kanis Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
You can rightly call Romee Kanis an old acquaintance of the gallery, her work was regularly seen at the gallery until a few years ago. We restore this trad...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Émile Guillemin (French 1841-1907) Bronze Bust of an Algerian Beauty
Located in New York, NY
Bronze bust with brown patina on marble socle base. Red patina detail on head scarf. In beautiful condition, expertly cast and modeled. Perfect for an art collector looking for European work that depicts Black and African people...
Category

Late 19th Century Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Bronze Female Statue "Le Crépuscule" by Emile Andre Boisseau
Located in New York, NY
Emile-Andre Boisseau (French, 1842-1923) Le Crépuscule signed 'E. Boisseau' (on the base) Bronze height: 29 in. (74 cm.) Emile-André Boisseau was a...
Category

19th Century Rococo Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Secret Society Mask-Sierra Leone W. Africa, " Wood created circa 1930
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Secret Society Mask-Sierra Leone W. Africa," is a wood sculpture of a woman's head. The hair has been sculpted with intricate detail, and metal hair adornments...
Category

1930s Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Pair Primitive Oversized Mistique Paper Mache Wall Figural Sculptures
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
1482 Pair oversized primitive hand made and painted Caribbean figural wall sculptures made from corrugated boxes and hand painted
Category

1960s Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Handmade Paper

Figural Group of Venus Flanked by Putti
Located in New York, NY
LOUIS AUGUSTE MOREAU French, (1834-1917) Figural Group of Venus Flanked by Putti Patinated bronze; Signed ‘Ate Moreau’ 28 in. x 11 in x 8 inches Notes: Having a deep brown...
Category

Late 19th Century Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pop Doll - Pop Art Pop Free New Movement Mannequin Colors Acrylic Paints
Located in Sofia, BG
"Pop Doll" is a decorated sculpture. It is created by the French artist David Cintract. About the artwork: TECHNIQUE: mannequin fiberglass, lacquer,...
Category

2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Fiberglass, Lacquer, Acrylic, Stencil

"Triplets (C-25), " Black Serpentine Stone Sculpture signed by Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Triplets (C-25)" is an original black serpentine sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece. This artwork features three women in large, textured dresses, gesturing and standing close to one another. 9 1/2" x 13" x 8" art Colleen Madamombe was born in 1964 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Considered to be among the finest new talents from Zimbabwe, she has won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe for the past three consecutive years, and is quickly becoming an established figure of the Second Generation of Zimbabwean stone...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Bust of a young woman / - Beauty of youth -
Located in Berlin, DE
Anonymous, Bust of a young woman, c. 1900, artificial marble and gray onyx marble. 37 cm (height) x 37 cm (width) x 22 cm (depth), weight 17.2 kg. Signed “GURRINI” on the reverse. -...
Category

Early 1900s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Bacchanal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charles Edouard Richefeu (1868-1945) A stunning dated 1926. A faun and nude woman dancing. Signed RICHEFEU in the bronze. Foundry mark stamp "R. COTTIN & FILS Paris Bronze". Definitely inspired by Diagilev Russian Ballet and Nijinsky dancer on Claude Debussy...
Category

1820s Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze of Pluto Abducting Proserpine after François Girardon
Located in New Orleans, LA
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...
Category

Early 18th Century Baroque Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

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