1850s Figurative Sculptures

"Pair Recumbent Stone Lions" after Antonio Canova (1757-1822) Italian (possibly Florence) Mid 19th Century Alabaster, marble 6 x 9 x 4 inches This is an exquisite pair of Italian alabaster lions on marble bases based on the monumental lions carved by Antonio Canova (1757-1822), the greatest Italian neoclassical sculptor. Canova sculpted the marble lions for the monumental tomb of Pope Clement XIII in St. Peter’s, Rome in 1792 Canova Lions refers to the pair of copies of lion sculptures by Antonio Canova. When Canova created the sculptures in 1792, he installed them on the tomb of Pope Clement XIII. The marble sculptures are some of the most prominent features in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Given the intricacies of creating the original Canova lions, some artists created molds and replicated them. A good example is the pair of lion sculptures...

Randolph John Rogers (American, 1825 - 1892) Randolph Rogers' Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii debuted in 1856 to critical and public acclaim, solidifying Rogers’ position as a pre-eminent American sculptor and it remains one of the artist’s most celebrated works today. The subject of Nydia is drawn from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's The Last Days of Pompeii 1834. After touring the ruins of the ancient city in 1833, and inspired by the stories of blinding volcanic ash, he composed the tale of Nydia, a slave who led her master, Glaucus, to safety. Rogers depicts Nydia at the moment that she and Glaucus have become separated in their perilous journey through the rubble and Nydia seeks familiarity in the surrounding chaos, her distress evident in her pained expression. The grace of the sculpture is at odds with the turmoil portrayed; a toppled Corinthian capital lies at her feet and obstructs her next step, indicated by the tilt of her back foot and grip on her walking stick. Examples of this model can be found in major American collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Literature, Millard F Rogers, Jr. Randolph Rogers, American Sculptor in Rome. University of Massachusetts Press, 1971, American Figurative Sculpture in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1986. Joyce K Schiller. "Nydia, A Forgotten Icon of the Nineteenth Century." Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Born in Waterloo, New York, Randolph John Rogers became an expatriate* sculptor of idealized figures, portraits, and commemorative works in Neo-Classical* and Realist* styles. He worked in clay, plaster, marble and bronze, and lived both in Italy and the United States. He made 167 examples of Nydia in two sizes (varies depending on base height) 36" and 54'. Rogers was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and as a young man did woodcuts* for the local newspaper, The Michigan Argus, and also worked as a baker's assistant and a dry goods clerk. In 1847, he moved to New York City, where he hoped to find work as an engraver*, but failing to do so, worked in a dry goods store owned by John Steward...

Superbly carved white statuary Carrara marble bust of Flora, the goddess of flowers. Flora was often associated with the coming of spring and the fertility of the land. She also sy...

As all of you will know, every Meissen figure is painted individually by an artist. While all Meissen is of high quality, I feel that the present figure is particularly fine, with th...

Pierre Jules Mene (1810-1879). Original cast circa 1850 Chien épagneul-griffon attrapant un canard (Spaniel-Griffon canine capturing a duck). Exceptional and large bronze grouping ...

Two dogs pointing a rabbit by Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) A rare bronze group with nuanced dark brown patina signed on the base " Barye " stamped " Barye " numbered " 4 " Except...

Woman taking off her shirt by James PRADIER (1790-1852) Bronze with a nuanced brown patina cast by SOYER and INGE France circa 1850 height 28,5 cm Biography : Jean-Jacques Pradier...

A signed, dated, 1855 terracotta, classical style sculpture of the robed figure of Fate holding the thread of life by listed, Austrian-born artist, Franz Melnitzky (1822-1876) whose ...

Superbly carved white statuary Carrara marble bust of Flora, the goddess of flowers. Flora was often associated with the coming of spring and th...

Charles Cumberworth (1811-1852) Indian Huntress Bronze with double patina Vittoz chiseller Old cast France circa 1850 height 52 cm Biography: Charles Cumberworth (1811-1852), son...