Charles Cordier, Bronzes "Saïd Abdallah / African Venus", 19th Century

Decorate a lady's office with this elegant antique figure. Sculpted in France, circa 1870, the terracotta composition depicts two young female beauties looking at two love birds. Wonderful details throughout. The sculpture is in excellent condition commensurate with age and use, and adorns a rich patinated clay finish. Signed in the back, Cordier, and listed in the Benezit (see last picture). Charles Henri Joseph Cordier (1827-1905) was a French sculptor of ethnographic subjects. Cordier was a student of the Beaux-Arts in Paris and entered the workshop of Rude in 1847. He traveled extensively in Africa. He is known for his polychrome sculptures in the later realist phase of Orientalism. Charles Cordier (Best known for his orientalist statues...

A reclining bronze of Venus. There is great detail in the casting.

Pair of Orientalist bronze busts by Cordier, 1861 French, 1861 Man: Height 42cm, width 32cm, depth 18cm Woman: Height 40cm, width 26cm, depth 16cm This impressive pair of bronze busts were made by the renowned French sculptor Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier (1827-1905). Known for his Orientalist works in bronze and marble, Cordier gained inspiration from his visits to Algeria. The male figure of this pair is after a study made during one of these visits. The figures form a wonderfully contrasting pair. The male bust wears a more sombre, downturned expression, whilst the female smiles almost sleepily. Both faces are expertly carved to achieve a human likeness, and the two figures are similarly dressed in embellished shirts and robes. The patination is exceptional throughout, providing light and shade to the facial features and garments. Gilding can also be seen on the woman’s earring...

This grand tour bronze sculpture depicts the version of Venus so important to the history of art and literature in the U.S. that the original was temporarily loaned to the National Gallery of Art from the Capital Museums in Rome in 2011. Mark Twain visited Rome and upon his return home in 1867 he published "The Capitoline Venus" and he described the work as the “most illustrious work of ancient art the world can boast of". (with credit to the National Gallery of Art catalog...