Items Similar to Rare French Bronze Sculpture “Last Days of Napoleon” after Vincenzo Vela
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21
Rare French Bronze Sculpture “Last Days of Napoleon” after Vincenzo Vela
About the Item
VINCENZO VELA
Italian/Swiss, 1820-1891"Last Days of Napoleon" (1867)
Patinated bronze engraved to front edge "V. VELA F. 1867", engraved to reverse edge "F. BARBEDIENNE, Fondeur", A. Collas cachet to base, underneath with foundry notations "111+ X" cast circa 1890
Item # 304LTR30P
A very fine late 19th century casting by the Ferdinand Barbedienne foundry of Vincenzo Vela's statue "Last Days of Napoleon" executed in patinated bronze. The subject is described contemporarily in a moving write-up by William Macleod, curator of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in their 1882 catalogue where he writes:
"This sublime statue is justly considered among the greatest sculptural works of modern times. It was executed for Mr J. Taylor Johnston of New York at the sale of whose collection it was bought for this Gallery. It is a replica of the statue made in 1866 and bought by Napoleon III from the French International Exhibition in 1867 and is now at Versailles There is some difference in the heads of the two statues but none changing the character and sentiment of the work. Vela as a Swiss has followed his profession in Florence and Milan but now resides at Ligernetto Canton of Tisson. He is about 50 years old and a Republican.
Napoleon is seated in a chair supported by a pillow a blanket covers his body and legs, but his dressing gown partly open shows his massive but wasted chest. His right hand rests languidly on an arm of the chair his left nervously clutched rests on a map of Europe of 1814 spread on his lap, that Europe whose boundary lines he had so often altered and obliterated. His head droops forward and there is an awful speculation in the glazed depths of the eyes that gaze earnestly from beneath the classic brow as though peering into futurity. An indomitable spirit lives in the compressed lips and the thin nostrils breathe the scorn of a conqueror though now yielding to the spell of the last conqueror, death. Neither David's Crossing the Alps nor De la Roche's Fontainebleau in their personations of the Successful General and the Fallen Emperor stir the heart so deeply as this pathetic image of the dying Imperial Captive”
The present example is one of two slightly varied versions of this sculpture, both documented in Michael Forrest’s reference work. It was cast by the foundry of Ferdinand Barbedienne and is noted such with the base edge neatly incised “F. BARBEDIENNE, Foundeur”; the standard A. Collas reduction cachet is impressed into the back corner of the base. Note the exquisite detail captured from the mold, the texture throughout the skin of his face, the full replication of the intricate bas-relief detailing of his garment and the pillow under his feet as well as the full development of the map in his hands. This is the 11" model, the same dimension as the example held in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 1979-187-2)
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
* Sotheby’s, 28 June 2007, 16 1/2” H model by Barbedienne achieved 22,800 GBP
* University of Chicago Smart Museum of Art, acc. no. 1976.74, 16 1/2” H model
* Christie’s Sydney, 15-16 May 2004, The John Schaeffer Collection, 45 cm, unknown foundry, lot 255, achieved AUD 11,950
* "Art Bronzes", Michael Forrest, 1988, p. 84-85, f. 2.184 & 2.185
Measurements: 11" H x 6 1/4" D x 10 1/8" W
Condition Report:
Trace wear to the original patina throughout commensurate with age and handling over time. Some wear and abrasion to the base. A very fine presentation. less
About silla antiques & art
Established in 2009, we have available in our 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery an ever-changing selection of carefully curated and catalogued furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and estate jewelry. Our company has long specialized in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of exceptional European and American sculpture available on display.
The gallery is located at 117 W Burd Street in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and is open by appointment only. We welcome your visit and would love to meet with you at the shop. For clients located outside of the area, we are always available to discuss items by video conferencing or by phone.
- Creator:Vincenzo Vela 1 (Sculptor)
- Dimensions:Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 10.18 in (25.86 cm)Depth: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)
- Style:Romantic (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1890
- Condition:Trace wear to the original patina throughout commensurate with age and handling over time. Some wear and abrasion to the base. A very fine presentation.
- Seller Location:Shippensburg, PA
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
4.9
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 2009
1stDibs seller since 2014
469 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Shippensburg, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Rare French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Seated Lion No.4”After Antoine-Louis BaryeBy Antoine-Louis BaryeLocated in Shippensburg, PAANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE French, 1796-1875 "Lion Assis no. 4" Dark-green patinated sand-cast bronze Signed in cast "BARYE" cast after 1875 Item # 204XDG15S ...Category
Antique 19th Century French Romantic Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Rare French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Lion Assis no.2” after Antoine-Louis BaryeBy Antoine-Louis BaryeLocated in Shippensburg, PAANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE French, 1796-1875 "Lion Assis no. 2" Patinated bronze Signed in cast "BARYE" Item # 109YHP24E Initially modeled by Barye in 1846 as a commission by Louis-Phillipe for the Tuilleries Gardens at a cost of 10,000 francs, the life-size sculpture sat near to Barye's Lion au Serpent until it was later moved in 1867 to the grand entrance to Pavilion de Flore and a pair was crafted for it using a mechanical technique, a gesture which incensed Barye, as he preferred to sculpt a mate to oppose Lion Assis but the government refused on the basis of the high cost. There are similarities between Lion Assis and Barye's Lion of the July Column, both beasts with notable similarity in the multiple layers of their manes and the quiet repose and powerful presence of the motionless Lion Assis is a natural development over his violent clashing group of Lion au Serpent from thirteen years prior. Version no. 1 was first offered in Barye's 1847 catalogue as no. 99 and due to the popularity of the sculpture it was cast in four different editions with varying dimensions. Lion Assis no. 2 was originally set over two base types: the more rare naturalistic base seen in the present model and the more common molded base (which incidentally also gives that variation some additional height). It was cast posthumously by Auguste Delafontaine, Hector Brame, Colin, Barbedienne and Graech-Marly. The same model and the original plaster and wax are held in the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (acc. no. 2007.70 & 71). The present model is an early posthumous cast with a richly textured surface and exquisite detail finished in an overall dark brown patina with hints of reddish undertones; the surface is silky and translucent. Artist Listings & Bibliography: *Barye: Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Polleti & Richarme, 2000, p. 182, cat. A57, ill. 143 *The Founders and Editors of the Barye Bronzes, Reinis, 2007, see p. 85-88 for discussion of Delafontaine and their role in casting Lion Assis (fig. 50), see p. 79-80 (fig. 25) for discussion of Ancienne Maison Colin...Category
Antique 19th Century French Romantic Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Three Graces” after Germain PilonLocated in Shippensburg, PAAFTER THE ORIGINAL MODEL BY GERMAIN PILON French, 1525-1590 "Three Graces" Patinated bronze unsigned, no markings cast circa last quarter of the 19th century Item # 308ZEK29Q A...Category
Antique 19th Century French Romantic Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Rare French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture Arab Warrior after Jean Didier DebutBy Jean Didier DebutLocated in Shippensburg, PAJEAN-DIDIER DEBUT French, 1824-1893 French Orientalist Model of a Janissaire Warrior Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "E. Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze Garanti...Category
Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Thetis, Olympian” After Pierre Emile HebertLocated in Shippensburg, PAAFTER THE ORIGINAL MODEL BY PIERRE EMILE HEBERT French, 1828-1893 "Thetis, Olympian" Item # 301THW19P A very nice cabinet bronze depicting the Greek goddess Thetis, the sculpture...Category
20th Century French Romantic Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- French Bronze Sculpture "Tiger Walking" after Antoine-Louis Barye, BarbedienneBy F. Barbedienne Foundry, Antoine-Louis BaryeLocated in Shippensburg, PAANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE French, 1795-1875 "Tigre Qui Marche" Dark brown patinated bronze Signed in base "A.L. BARYE", incised "F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR, PARIS", cold-stamped FRANCE cold-tooled to underside 19.691 conceived 1841, cast circa early 20th century Item # 111GPP20Q Barye's ability to merge our romantic idealization of nature with a colder reality of nature's predator is beautifully represented in this striding cat. Originally conceived in 1841, Tigre Qui Marche (Walking Tiger...Category
Early 20th Century French Romantic Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
You May Also Like
- Patinated Bronze Sculpture of NapoleonLocated in West Palm Beach, FLPatinated bronze sculpture of Napoleon 19th century. Unsigned. Bronze, brown patina Measures: Height 10 1/4 inches (26.03 cm.) Square ...Category
Antique 19th Century Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Antique French Bronze Sculpture after HoudonBy Jean-Antoine HoudonLocated in London, GBThis beautiful patinated bronze figure is titled 'Diana Chasseresse', or 'Diana Huntress', and depicts the Roman goddess Diana, goddess of hunting. It replicates an important work of...Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Exquisite French Patinated Bronze Bust of Emperor Napoleon i, After Canova 1820By Antonio CanovaLocated in New York, NYAn exquisite French patinated bronze Herm Bust of Emperor Napoleon I, circa 1820 After Canova (1757–1822). Mounted on a solid square bronze and green marble base. Extremely fine ...Category
Antique 19th Century French Busts
MaterialsMarble, Bronze
- Art Nouveau Sculpture of Hands Bronze Casting after RodinLocated in Los Angeles, CALarger than life-size sculpture of Hands in stress made from a rare find > One of his most popular sculptures. Lost wax process and with excellent b...Category
1990s North American Romantic Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Bronze sculpture of a Cupid, after LemireBy Charles G. LemireLocated in Paris, FRGreen patina bronze proof of a cupid stringing his bow, after a marble original presented at the 1814 Salon by Charles Gabriel Sauvage dit Lemire (1741-1827). Love is shown seated an...Category
Antique 1880s French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Bronze Sculpture of Diana After Pierre Roche (French 1855 - 1922)Located in Palm Beach Gardens, FLA bronze cast of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, after Pierre Roche (French 1955 - 1922). The sculpture stands on a square green marble base. Dimensions: Base: 8" x 8" Overall: 10.5" ...Category
Vintage 1980s Baroque Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsMarble, Bronze