18th C. French Marble Bust of Dancer Marie-Madeleine Guimard, Antoinette Style

Completely hand-crafted in 18th century Spain, this sculpture of the Virgin stands 1.5 meters / 5 feet tall and was most certainly created for devotional purposes, to be displayed in a church or chapel. Besides its impressive size this sculpture is an excellent, museum-quality example of the Spanish “Estofado” polychrome technique, developed during the Gothic period to imitate rich brocade fabrics. The finely carved “fabric” areas of the sculpture would be first covered in gesso, and then a layer of gold leaf would be applied. The gold leaf would then be painted over with various colors of tempera paints. Once dry, the painted surface would be incised or scratched away in patterns, revealing the gold beneath. The sculpture was professionally restored in 2022 by a firm that is often hired by the Spanish government to work on historic building interiors and museum pieces. The virgin was carefully cleaned, repaired and its condition stabilized. A complete and fully-illustrated restoration report will be included with purchase. Often confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary herself was conceived “immaculately” without original sin has been variously defended and debated within the Catholic Church since the pre-Middle Ages. For centuries, artists struggled to create an acceptable visual representation of this highly abstract concept, in part taking inspiration from the Book of Revelation and other scriptural sources. We see the Virgin standing on a half moon (biblically inspired, though also an ancient symbol of chastity) with her long natural hair loose down her back, another indication of purity. Both her white tunic and flowing blue mantle...

The bronze figure is 19th century, made by sculptor Agapito Vallmitjana (1833-1905) who was active in Barcelona, along with his brother Venancio, who was also a sculptor. They were both successful and well-known in their time, and their works are in public places and various collections in Spain, including a beautiful life-size marble Christ...

Following a model by early 19th century Paris sculptor and bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire, and showcasing many of the neoclassical design elements common to the Empire Style popula...

A nicely proportioned 19th century French Louis XV style bombe commode, featuring elegantly curved front and sides embellished with marquetry inlay and ormolu bronze fittings. Topped...

Bust of the Princess of Lamballe Marie Antoinette's Closest Confidante Carved from statuary marble and resting on a waisted rectangular Carrara socle, the portrait bust of Princess Marie-Louise Thérèse of Savoy-Carignan, later known as Princesse de Lamballe...

Incredible bust in alabaster representing Mme Pompadour circa 1850

This is a beautifully sculpted composite marble bust of Marie Antoinette, late 20th century in date. This attractive sculpture features the Queen of France facing to dexter, wearing...

As an early rendition of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, this marble bust depicts her in her youth wearing a simple hairstyle with ringlets tied back in a bow and a small tiara...