Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12
Vincenzo VelaTHE LAST DAYS OF NAPOLÉON BY1867
1867
$44,850
£33,894.18
€38,933.62
CA$63,084.84
A$66,790.39
CHF 36,145.07
MX$798,267.99
NOK 450,543.58
SEK 412,006.13
DKK 290,784.17
About the Item
This highly evocative bronze by Vincenzo Vela captures the deposed Emperor Napoléon on his deathbed, holding a map of Europe and lost in thought about what might have been. Remarkable among most portrayals of the exiled leader, this highly detailed sculpture depicts Napoléon at his most vulnerable. Nonetheless, Vela perfectly captures his still-heroic bearing, which imparts to this work a monumental quality and quiet dignity. The mate to this figure is the colossal marble at the Musée du Château de Malmaison, which was shown at the Paris Salon of 1867.
The founder of the verismo movement in Italy, Vela was one of the great exponents of realism in sculpture. Born in Ligornetto, Switzerland in 1820, he studied under celebrated sculptor, Benedetto Cacciatori. He was also influenced both by the work of Tuscan sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini, who seamlessly combined neoclassicism with naturalism and the romantic painting of Francesco Hayez. Vela soon became one of the most important promoters of realist and verist sculpture, which emphasized true-to-life depictions of subjects. This was a reaction to the more idealistic, classical aesthetic espoused by artists such as Canova.
Vela taught at the Albertina Academy in Turin for many years and showed his work at numerous Salons in Italy. His oeuvre is best remembered for its exploration of the social and heroic value of human action. A fervent patriot, he was active both politically and culturally and was elected to the Grand Council in Ticino. Today, many of Vela’s works are preserved in the Museo Vela at Ligornetto, and others can be found in Lugano, Bellinzona, Airolo, as well as Milan and Turin.
9" wide x 15" deep x 17" high
- Creator:Vincenzo Vela (1820 - 1891)
- Creation Year:1867
- Dimensions:Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:Seller: 31-25451stDibs: LU1867566982
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 1912
1stDibs seller since 2013
21 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 8 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: New Orleans, LA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllPerseus
Located in New Orleans, LA
The legendary Greek god Perseus is the subject of this elegant half-bust by Ubaldo Gandolfi, a major painter and sculptor from Bologna. The son of Zeus and Danaë, Perseus was the le...
Category
Mid-18th Century Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Terracotta
Clio by Studio of Romanelli
Located in New Orleans, LA
Studio of Raffaello Romanelli
Early 20th Century Italian
Clio
Inscribed "Executé sous la Direction du Prof. Romanelli" (on base)
Marble
Clio, the muse of history from Greek mytho...
Category
Early 20th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Terracotta Statue of Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena
Located in New Orleans, LA
Terracotta Statue of Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena
Circa 1825-1840
This exceptional terracotta statue of Napoleon Bonaparte on St. Helena stands as one of the earliest known depict...
Category
19th Century Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Terracotta
La Casta Susanna by Urbano Lucchesi
Located in New Orleans, LA
Urbano Lucchesi
1844 - 1906 Italian
La Casta Susanna
(The Chaste Susanna)
Marble
This elegant statue entitled La Casta Susanna depicts the virtuous biblical figure Susanna, exper...
Category
Late 19th Century Nude Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Jeanne d
Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet
Located in New Orleans, LA
Emmanuel Frémiet
1824–1910 French
Jeanne d’Arc
Signed “E FREMIET”
This commanding bronze of Jeanne d’Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet captures one of the most enduring symbols of French n...
Category
Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Masquerade
By Fortunato Galli
Located in New Orleans, LA
Masquerade, a traditional yet playful composition by Fortunato Galli, reflects the realism and intricacy that defined Italian sculpture at the end of the 19th century. Magnificently ...
Category
19th Century Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
You May Also Like
Napoléon
By César Baldaccini
Located in Malmo, SE
Napoléon.
(Epruve d’artiste EA 1/2)
Bocquel fondeur.
Acquired directly from the artist.
Signed by the artist.
César Baldaccini (1921 – 1998) is one of the great sculptors of the twentieth century. As a young man he took a stand for art...
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Napoléon Bonaparte By Béni
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Napoléon Bonaparte –
Dimensions: 146x97cm
Technique : Peinture à l'huile
Année:2021
Prix : 7 900 €
Born in Tehran, Behnaz Fallah known as Beni, seeks to bring a colorful perspe...
Category
2010s Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Historia #2 - Napoleon
By Tony Dagradi
Located in New Orleans, LA
Medium: hardcover book, acrylic varnish
TONY DAGRADI is an internationally recognized jazz performer, artist, composer, author, and educator. For over three decades he has made his ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Paper
Trionfo della Memoria, 2007
By Hugo Rivas
Located in Atlanta, GA
“Making sculpture is a very complex matter. A word added to a form, ultimately helping to better define it. And ultimately helping to understand the whole.”
Ugo Riva is probably the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze, Iron
Ardito (Portrait of a Man)
Located in Roma, RM
Vitaliano Marchini (Melegnano 1888 - 1971), Ardito (Portrait of a Man), 1919
Carrara marble sculpture 43 x 26 x 15 cm signed on the right on the base: V. MARCHINI
Exhibitions: Pala...
Category
Early 20th Century Symbolist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Lo sguardo di Alessandro Magno
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jacopo Scassellati was born in Sassari (Sardinia) in 1989 where he still resides today. His family is originally from Umbria. Very early on, he displayed a strong predisposition for ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic
