Pair of Caryatid & Atlante

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About the Item

This couple of a man and a woman is exceptional both by its size and by the material used: the pieces are not made of wood but of terracotta. These sculptures alone are emblematic of a time, the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; they testify of a particular taste for this type of architectural ornament which then invaded the interiors. Far from the famous antique model of the caryatid (often embodied by a draped woman with a cold and somewhat severe expression illustrating authority and power, as on the façade of the Erechtheion in Athens), the sculptor-ceramist stages here highly decorative, highly expressive and half-naked figures. The anatomy of the bodies and faces is very well respected, full of naturalism. At the turn of the twentieth century, in the 1900s, the Art Nouveau then in vogue was in fact trying to reproduce the curves, the sensuality of the body (more often the female body). It is particularly interesting to note that the woman's model has most likely been disseminated and has inspired several artists for several architectural projects. For example, we find this same woman on the façade of a building in Paris, on Boulevard de la Madeleine. If we do not know with certainty the identity of the figures represented, the woman may evoke some representations from Orientalism. The couple may also refer to famous deities: the man, by the physiognomy of his face, recalls the representations of the god Neptune, often represented alongside his wife Amphitrite. The marine elements usually associated with these two deities are not present here, but the artist seems rather to have a purely decorative approach, in a desire to insert these figures into an important architectural setting. And indeed, these two sculptures come from a private castle located in the Paris region. Caryatids have always illustrated a certain ambiguity between form and function, between decoration and utilitarian elements. If it seems to support a part of the building, it is nevertheless a decorative element.

Dimensions:
Height: 100.4 in (255 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Terracotta
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1900
Condition:
Seller Location:
Paris, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5081217976432