Mid-19th Century Busts

A beautifully sculpted Italian solid white Carrara marble bust sculpture of a Grecian Lady wearing a floral garland, signed by Eugene Antoine Aizelin, and dating from circa 1850. Th...

19th century Italian alabaster bust. Well sculpted antique Italian alabaster or marble bust of a classical female mounted on a plinth. This is a beautifully detailed antique alabaster bust...

Italian 19th century bronze bust of Augustus Ceasar, finely detailed and well patinated, standing on turned ebonized wood and marble socle plinth base.

A monumental and masterfully sculpted 19th century copy of the famed Hellenistic "Herakles from Pergamon." This dramatic marble head, hewn from prized Greek Thassos marble, depicts...

A French Grand Tour 19th century plaster, bust of French King Henri II made by Atelier de moulage du Louvre between 1854-1865 after Pilon Germain...

Bronze bust depicting a satyr, characterized by a marked theatrical and grotesque expressiveness. The face features a mocking smile with a slightly protruding tongue, while the obliq...

Marble Busts of Roman on pedestal. Early 19th Century

A Neoclassical Italian Grand Tour Patinated Bronze Bust of Apollo Belvedere, Circa 1860 The bust is cast as a half length figure of Apollo, shown with the head turned to his right a...

Incredible and monumental size bust in bronze representing Platao circa 1850

This finely executed bust of a Naiad is attributed to the neoclassical sculptor John Gibson (1790 – 1866). A Naiad was a type of mythological water nymph and is depicted here with her head bowed and cocked slightly to the side, displaying her strong neo-Hellenistic profile. In her hair, the nymph wears a headdress that is comprised of long and slender reed leaves, which not only identifies her iconographically as a water spirit, but draws a close comparison with those worn by the female figures in John Gibson’s Hylas Surprised by the Naiades (1827 - 1837) (fig.1). The downwards and off-centre orientation of our Naiad bust mirrors that of the taller figure on the left of the group, who rests her cheek on the head young Hylas (fig.2) Her facial physiognomy follows the neo-Hellenistic archetype established by Gibson and can be closely compared with his Tinted Venus – one of the most important statues of the Victorian era (1851–56, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) (fig.3). While Gibson’s Tinted Venus is known best for its controversial polychrome ‘tinting’, the essential structure of the face—broad brow, finely drawn nose, wide (and slightly drooping) almond-shaped eyes - provided a template that Gibson returned to repeatedly in his depiction of mythological maidens. Critics of the time noted the consistency of his female types, with some seeing their idealised severity as an antidote to the sentimentality of much mid-Victorian sculpture (fig.4 – 6). The facial physiognomy is also very similar to a drawing by Gibson at the Royal Academy that depicts Hero weeping over the dead body of Leander (fig.7). The socle style of the present work also finds comparisons with Gibsons busts of Cupid and Aurora. This was of course somewhat standardised, but it is interesting to note the extent of their similarity with our bust. John Gibson RA is considered by many to be the greatest British sculptor of the nineteenth century working in the Neoclassical style. It is hard to overestimate the impact Rome had on the life and art of the artist. He first arrived in the city around 1817, when he was just twenty-six, and remained a resident there until his death. Not only did Rome’s ancient sculptural treasures and architectural fragments offer Gibson a lifetime of inspiration, but the Grand Tourists who poured into Rome in the first half of the nineteenth century provided him with many commercial opportunities. These rich or aristocratic travellers sought out mythological sculptures for their grand, palatial residences. However, since the papal decrees of Doria Pamphilj and Pacca of 1803 banned the export of ancient Greek and Roman works of art from Rome, there was a large demand for modern idealised sculpture in the Neoclassical style (Frasca-Rath 2016, p. 10). During his early days in the city he had the great fortune to train under both Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen (Roscoe and Hardy 2009, p. 522). He referred continuously to Canova as his “master”, particularly in his memoirs, which he dictated to Margarete Sandbach at the beginning of the 1850s; these were subsequently published by Lady Eastlake in 1870. Moreover, he claimed to be Canova’s last pupil in a letter to Antonio Gacini, Secretary of the Royal Academy in Milan in 1861, written to thank the Academy for accepting him as an Honorary Member: “The first instruction which I received in my art was from an Italian. It was Canova whose pupil I became in the year 1817 and studied under him for five years when he died. I was his last pupil” (Royal Academy Archive GI/1376). By 1821, Gibson had established his own studio in the via Fontanella, off the via Babuino. From here he aimed to produce sculpture of “the sublime and the purest beauty”, believing that the sculptor’s role was to select and combine the most beautiful parts of nature to create a harmonious whole, which would delight and elevate the viewer. By the mid nineteenth century he was one of the few remaining exponents of the so-called ‘pure’ and ‘neo Hellenistic’ style of sculpture, resolutely upholding the Neoclassical ideals established by Wincklemann, in a period when naturalism and modern subjects preoccupied the majority of artists in Europe (Turner, ed., 1996, p. 598). Gibson was convinced of the importance of disseminating artistic ideas through the younger generations, an ideal no doubt impressed upon him by Canova, and established ‘the British Academy of Arts in Rome’. His students included William Theed (1804–1891), Benjamin Spence (1822–1866), Harriet Hosmer...

Impressive and large-scale Grand Tour bust representing Lucius Verus, Roman Emperor of the 2nd century AD. This sculpture is a fine 19th-century interpretation after the antique, cre...

An Impressive 19th Century Italian Hand-Carved Carrara Marble Model of The Three Graces, Originally by Antonio Canova. The carving on this piece is exceptionally well done. The faces, hair, hands and draped clothing...

An early 19th century Italian carved marble bust of a young Caesar, sitting on an antique marble and bronze column base. Measurements: Total height 51.5" Length 10" Depth 7" D...

A fabulous 19th century oversized classical plaster bust of Apollo by Louis Brugiotti of 4 Leather Lane London 1845-1885, in original untouched condition. 89cm in height 60cm in w...

Absolutely stunning French chisel cast Patinated Bronze Classical standing scantily clad Cherub. First half of the Nineteenth Century. Seated on a square block of incredibly well...

A D. Brucciani (1815 – 1880) antique 19th century plaster horse. This cast figure is signed ‘D. Brucciani & Co, London’ along the side of the base. Brucciani’s firm was influent...

Antonio Tantardini (Italian, 1829-1879) An extraordinary Italian 19th century life-size carved Carrara white marble sculpture of "A Young Child and a baby in a wicker crib...

Rare Pair of 19th Russian Bronze Busts of Peter I and Catherine the Great in great antique condition. Marked 1867

Pair Antique French Terracotta Busts Signed "Houdon" on Marble Bases, Circa 1860. Male Bust: 17 3/4" H x 9 1/2" W x 8 1/2" D Female Bust: 19 1/4" H x 10" W x 6 1/2" D

A mid 19th century plaster portrait bust of 3rd century BC Roman general and politician, Marcus Claudius Marcellus (270-208 BC), ex. Holkham Hall, Norfolk. Inscribed to the front of ...

Italian wooden sculpture of a mid 19th century woman's bust with purfled base. High quality hand-crafted item.

A 19th century patinated bronze depicting the hero Ajax or Menelaus, king of Sparta, mounted on a column-shaped base of grey veined marble, a classic souvenir of the Grand Tour

Signed Machauld et Eug. Cornu – G. Viot et Cie Fondeurs Bust of a Greek goddess, made entirely of silvered bronze and gilded bronze. The tiara and collar necklace ornating the bust are finely decorated with stylized floral motifs of polychrome champlevé enamel. It rests on a molded base and square plinth made in red griotte marble. The sculptor Eugène Cornu (1827-1899), installed in Paris at N.29 rue Popincourt, after having worked as a designer and then director for the renowned company Tahan, worked closely with the « Compagnie des Marbres Onyx...

An Outstanding Pair 19th Century Italian Hand-Carved Carrara Marble Busts of Apollo & Artemis, One Bust is Signed on the Back, "F Vichi". This pair of stunning marble busts, hand-car...

This pair of 19th century busts are after noted French sculptor Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824 - 1887). The pieces are exquisitely detailed and depict the head and torso of a ...

A captivating 19th-century terra cotta sculpture depicting a serene female figure rendered in the Renaissance style. This finely modeled work exemplifies classical elegance, with met...

19th century hand carved gold gilt cherub/putti fragment A high-quality hand carved 19th century gold gilt paint over sectioned pine example. This wonderful piece details realistic human features, which suggests it was carved for a special interior section of sorts. Likely to have been part of a larger collective at some point. It would look delightful and highly decorative positioned over a doorway entrance. Size in inches: H 10” x W 15” x D 5” Origin: France Material: Pine Date: 1850 - 1880 Completely solid in structure and form without any breaks. Detail loss across the painted surface as shown. We sell antique...

19th Century Santos Head We are proud to offer a rare example of a religious 19th Century hand carved Santos head. With polychrome paint still intact in...

A French Napoléon III period walnut carved putto sculpture from the mid 19th century, with grapes, flowers and the double flute. Created in France during the third quarter of the 19t...

Dimensions- H: 6 1/2in W: 2 1/4in D: 2in This Antique French Ormolu Bronze And Marble bust of Louise Brogniart After Jean Antoine Houdon And Signed Thiebaut Fréres is an incredible example of 19th century french decor...

I could not identify the sitter. Socle base. From a Mississippi collection.

Grand Tour bronze of the god Ajax from Greek mythology. Very detailed with a beautiful patina.

Nicely carved bust of a Roman patrician. a 19th century copy of an ancient Roman image. Socle base.

In centuries past, lucky artists were ennobled after mastering their craft and achieving renown, but Baron Marochetti had been born into the noblility before he proved his mettle as ...

Nègre du Soudan bronze bust with marble base after Charles Henri-Joseph. Made in France, c. 1860's. Dimensions: 39"H x 24"W x 13"D

An antique Wedgwood black basalt bust of Plato. This Grand Tour sculpture is a very stylish depiction of the Athenian philosopher Plato (c.428-347 B.C.). He is one of the most impo...

A mid-late 19th century antique plaster bust of Venus, Roman goddess of love and beauty, or her Greek counterpart, Aphrodite. This bust is signed ...

The bust of Napoleon with a medallion detailed with Medusa's head over his shoulder behind an eagle and its outstreched wings and with a palm tree on the back. Marked Eneret on the b...

Italian mid-nineteenth century bronze bust of Lucius Verus, circa 1860-1870, on circular waisted socle. Lucius Verus ruled Rome alongside Marcus Aureli...

This Greek bust depicts the legendary poet and author Homer who is presumed to have penned the two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems: the Iliad and the Odyssey. Scholars are uncertain whether or not Homer actually existed but if he in fact did exist, Homer would be regarded as one of the greatest literary artists of his time. This is an iconic statue for an interior and looks particularly impactful when placed on a column or plinth. Please note the blue plinth...

This portrait bust in relief of a French nobleman is mounted in the original gilt frame, though the subject’s identity and the artist remain a mystery. Beautifully sculpted, the bust...

A very well carved alabaster bust of a young Mid 19th century child, with crochet shawl and holding a basket. Italian signed to rear by the artist. In good condition images are a tru...

An Italian artist signed 19th century marble bust of a lady. Wearing a ruffled top with a veil partially covering her face. Signed.

A small antique 19th century Southeast Asian (Siam / Thailand) bronze Bhaisajyaguru holding a begging bowl (the Buddha of healing and medicine) religious icon statue.

Baroque Revival Wood Bust of a Putto on Faux Marble Lacquered Base – 19th Century A charming and soulful 19th-century Baroque Revival carved wood bust depicting a cherubic putto. Thi...

19th-century painted plaster bust after the marble original by Sir Francis Chantrey (1781–1841), depicting Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in three-quarter right profile with tousled ha...

Italian neoclassical Alabaster portrait bust of a gentleman, by Insom Fece, 1839 Finely detailed portrait bust of young man with wavy hair. Inscribed signature on back right shoulde...

An incredibly rare pair of 1859 plaster portrait plaques by Henry Dmochowski Saunders (1810-1863) of William Brown Hodgson (1801-1871) and wife Margaret (Telfair) Hodgson (1797-1874)...

Antique bust "fer de Berlin", iron casting, 19th century. Depicting a man in antique robe. High quality workmanship, cleaned condition of the bronze.

A sensational true pair of Italian mid 19th century Grand Tour Period Alabaster busts of Apollo and Diana. This stunning pair are based on famous marble statues housed in the Louvre ...

Francesco Stanga Bust Of Child In Marble Of Carrara 1837 signed and dated on the back of the bust. The sculpture depicts a four-year-old and nine-month-old child with a joyful dispos...

Italian Neoclassical Roman Emperor Hadrian robed marble bust resting on circular tiered marble pedestal. Mid 19th Century

18th Century Polychrome Carved Wooden Bishop Bust, Continental Ecclesiastical Fragment A striking 18th-century carved wooden bust of a bishop, beautifully ...

Rare and stunning Italian sculpture of a composer of famous religious music. With pride we offer you this antique and incredibly well crafted bust of 16th century, Venetian composer...

A well-modelled 19th century buff terracotta bust depicting Oliver Cromwell, 17th century MP, solider and Lord Protector, made by Blashfield (signed) and inscribed to the back should...

Porcelain biscuit bust of Brutus, (Marcus Junius Brutus, son of Emperor Cesar), set on its deep blue porcelain base enhanced with fine gold line...

Female bust of maiden with bouquet of roses ( Spring). The maiden is portrayed with a slight smile and a deep, attentive gaze, combed with a low chignon and hair lightly held back by...

19th Century Carved Marble Portrait of a Woman. Carved of reddish-brown coloured marble, shown in classical style, inserted into a bust of alabaster and fitted with a socle of dark g...

The plaster cast of a herm with the head of Dionysos has a beautiful green patina and sits on a mahogany base France circa 1860-1870.

In the Napoleonic style with much later faux marbre plinth.