Carl Kauba, Bookworm & Art Connoisseur, a Pair of Bronze Sculptures, circa 1910

French Belle Epoch Antoine Bourdelle Sculptural Pair of Bookends Patinated Bronze Edmond Etling & Cie Foundry, Paris ca. 1910 DIMENSIONS Height: 7.5 inches Width: 3.33 inches Depth: 3.33 inches MARKINGS Same markings are present on the plinths of both bookends: Signed 'A. Bourdelle’. Stamped ‘Edmond Etling & Cie Foundry, Paris’ ABOUT BOOKENDS This exquisite pair of bookends, created by the renowned French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, epitomizes the grace and emotional depth of the Belle Époque era. Each bookend is a remarkable sculpture in its own right, yet when placed together, they form an inseparable narrative composition, bound by a shared plot. One bookend captures the passionate embrace of Harlequin and his mistress, a tender yet intense moment frozen in time. The second bookend portrays Pierrot, lost in the anguish of jealousy, his expression and posture radiating sorrow and longing. Together, these two figurative sculptures create a dramatic scene, where the books they support become part of the stage set, acting as a barrier between the characters—much like a stage wall in a theatrical performance. The interplay of emotion and movement in this captivating sculptural pair makes it a true masterpiece, seamlessly blending art with functionality. ABOUT SCULPTOR Émile Antoine Bordelles (French, 1861 - 1929) was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important figure in the Art Deco movement and the transition from the Beaux-Arts seyle to modern sculp[ture. His studio became the Musee Bourdelle, an art museum dedicated to his work, located at 18, rue Antoine Bourdelle, in the15th arondissement of Paris, France. His very well known for his use of quivering Romanesque forms in his depictions of mythological figures. One of his best known works Hercules the Archer (1909), was a commissioned sculpture for the financier Gabriel Thomas. Born Émile-Antoine Bourdelle on October 30, 1861 in Montauban, France, he learned woodworking as a youth from his father who was a cabinetmaker. While assisting his father during the workday, he studied drawing at the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse in the evening. Moving to Paris in 1885, the artist became an assistant to Auguste Rodin in 1893, Rodin’s influence is evident in many of Bourdelle’s early sculptures. By 1900, he had begun receiving commissions for a number of theaters and later taught classes at his studio to young artist such as Alberto Giacometti and Otto Gutfreund...

Dimensions Total Height: 7.5 inches Base Height: 2 inches Width: 2.75 inches Depth: 2.75 inches ABOUT This charming desk figurine in dark brown patinated Viennese bronze by the famous Austrian sculptor Karl Kaub stands out for the originality and humor of its subject matter. The author depicted with amazing subtlety a boy who jumped on one leg in fright, suddenly seeing a frog sitting on his arm. CARL KAUBA (Austrian, 1865-1922) was born August 13, 1865 in Vienna, Austria. The son of a shoemaker, Kauba chose to follow his calling into the world of art. Collectors now rank him in a class with Remington and Russell as one of the great portrayers of American Western. His subjects were typically American Indians, calvarymen, cowboys, and roughriders. In addition to his American bronzes, Kauba produced a lifetime’s worth of Austrian statuary. His work became fully appreciated on both sides of the Atlantic. Carl studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under professor Laufenberg. Later he would study at the academies under Carl Waschmann and Stefan Schwartz. Next, he went to Paris in 1886 to further study before he set off for the U.S. In fact, some debate still remains as to whether Kauba ever visited the U.S. Kauba’s fascination with the West was fired by the stories of the German writer, Carl May, whose tales of Western adventure were well known throughout Europe. Most authorities feel that he was about twenty-five years old when he traveled widely throughout the American West. He then returned to Austria with voluminous notes, sketches, and several models of Western sculpture...

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