19th Century Sculptures

Wilhelm Albermann (1835 Werden an der Ruhr - 1913 Cologne), The Blacksmith of Solingen, after 1895. Bronze-color patinated zinc cast on plinth, 47 cm (height) x 20 cm (width) x 16 cm (depth), weight 5.5 kg. Signed “Albermann.” on the plinth and identified as a cast by “AKT.[TIEN] GES.[ELLSCHAFT] GLADENBECK BERLIN”. Dedication on the front: “Mr. Ing. F. Kuhlmann to the wedding. Management and officials of the Hannoversche Waggonfabrik. Aircraft construction department". - The zinc showing through in spots, the patina somewhat stained, the right upper arm under the sleeve retouched in black. - The Double-edged Sword - The figure is a reduction of Wilhelm Albermann's 1895 fountain figure of the armourer of Solingen, who has always been identified with the historical blacksmith Peter Hahn. In 1839, Karl Simrock wrote the poem “The Blacksmith of Solingen" and thus coined the legendary figure. The first and penultimate verses read: A blacksmith spoke to Solingen With every bayonet, That came to his diligence: "Oh, that Fritz had it!" The war took its course, Many battles were fought, Which often made him fearful and anxious In his soul. The blacksmith had given up his trade to fight for Frederick the Great. Not least because of his strength and will to fight, the battles were won. With his fountain sculpture, Albermann has given the legendary blacksmith a figurative form and at the same time created a landmark for the city of Solingen, which was once famous for the art of sword forging and today still stands for the production of high-quality knives. During the bombing raid in November 1944, the fountain was destroyed along with the entire old town of Solingen. Only the head remained. The broad-shouldered blacksmith stands securely behind his anvil, his leather apron tied around him, and has just finished a sword blade with his own "weapon" - the blacksmith's hammer. His entire body shows the strength with which he wields the hammer, but also the strain of this activity, as evidenced by the wide open shirt, the somewhat 'untidy' apron, and especially the furrowed face. However, the blacksmith does not look at the finished work, but resolutely and at the same time thoughtfully into the distance, in line with the quoted verse from Simrock's poem that the battles "often made him fearful and anxious in his soul". There is certainly something melancholy in his gaze, fed by the knowledge of the necessity of forging swords and taking up arms and their deadly use - experiences Albermann had to make during his own war missions. The flowing full beard gives his gaze into the distance an almost prophetic character. In keeping with the craft of the perfectly formed art of blacksmithing, the detailed casting reproduces the respective materials depicted in perfect form: the leather apron convincingly conveys the impression of leather and lies - also in the back view - like a second formed layer over the body, while the shirt and trousers illustrate their own textile qualities. Due to its masterful execution and profound content, the “Blacksmith of Solingen”, which has survived in its cast reproductions, remains Albermann's most famous work to this day. About the artist The son of a carpenter, Wilhelm Albermann began an apprenticeship as a joiner, but then followed his artistic calling and trained as a sculptor in Elberfeld. In 1855, at the age of twenty, he was drafted into the army in Berlin, where he served until 1857. Albermann attended the Berlin Art Academy on the side and began regular studies after his service. While still a student, he completed commissioned works for his teachers August Fischer and Hugo Hagen. His first independent commissions followed, enabling him to establish a flourishing sculpture studio in Cologne in 1865. His artistic activities were repeatedly interrupted by military service, and he took part in the German-Danish War in 1864, the war against Austria in 1866, and the Franco-Prussian War in 1870/71. After his last war service, Albermann, already a respected artist, founded a commercial drawing school at the request of the city government, where he taught the modeling class and served as director until 1896. In 1890 he also worked for the "Society for the Promotion of Sculpture in the Rhineland and Westphalia". Albermann was one of the most prolific sculptors in Cologne in the second half of the 19th century. He created numerous monuments, fountains, tomb sculptures, architectural ornaments, and domestic statues. At its peak, his workshop employed up to thirty sculptors and stonemasons at a time. GERMAN VERSION Wilhelm Albermann (1835 Werden an der Ruhr - 1913 Köln), Der Schmied von Solingen, nach 1895. Bronzefarben patinierter Zinkguss auf gegossener Plinthe, 47 cm (Höhe) x 20 cm (Breite) x 16 cm (Tiefe), Gewicht 5,5 kg. Auf der Plinthe mit „Albermann.“ signiert und als Guss der „AKT.[TIEN] GES.[ELLSCHAFT] GLADENBECK BERLIN“ ausgewiesen. Schauseitige Widmung: „Herrn Ing. F. Kuhlmann zur Vermählung. Direktion und Beamte der Hannoverschen Waggonfabrik. Abt. Flugzeugbau“. - Punktuelles Durchscheinen des Zinks, Patina etwas fleckig, der rechte Oberarm unter dem Ärmel schwarz retuschiert. - Die Zweischneidigkeit des Schwertes - Die Figur ist eine Reduktion von Wilhelm Albermanns 1895 geschaffener Brunnenfigur des Waffenschmieds von Solingen, der seit jeher mit dem historischen Schmied Peter Hahn identifiziert wurde. 1839 hatte Karl Simrock das Gedicht „Der Schmied von Solingen“ verfasst und damit die legendäre Figur geprägt. Die erste und die vorletzte Strophe lauten: Zu Solingen sprach ein Schmied Bei jedem Bajonette, Das seinem Fleiß geriet: »Ach, daß der Fritz es hätte!« Der Krieg ging seinen Gang, Man schlug noch viele Schlachten, Die oft ihm angst und bang' In seiner Seele machten. Der Schmied hatte sein Handwerk ruhen lassen, um selbst für Friedrich den Großen zu kämpfen. Nicht zuletzt durch seine Kraft und seinen Kampfeswillen verliefen die Schlachten siegreich. Dem legendären Schmied verlieht Albermann mit seiner Brunnenskulptur eine bildliche Gestalt und schuf damit zugleich ein Wahrzeichen der Stadt Solingen, die einst für die Kunst des Schwerterschmiedens berühmt war und bis heute für die Herstellung qualitätvoller Messer einsteht. Beim Bombenangriff im November 1944 wurde mit der gesamten Solinger Altstadt auch der Brunnen zerstört. Einzig der Kopf blieb erhalten. Mit sicherem Stand und umgebundener Lederschürze steht der breitschultrige Schmied hinter seinem Amboss und hat gerade mit seiner eigenen ‚Waffe‘ – dem Schmiedehammer – eine Schwertklinge fertiggestellt. Seinem gesamten Körper ist die Kraft abzulesen, mit der er den Hammer führt, aber auch die Anstrengung dieser Tätigkeit, wovon das weit geöffnete Hemd, die etwas ‚unordentlich‘ arrangierte Schürze und vor allem das zerfurchte Gesicht zeugen. Der Schmied schaut aber nicht auf das vollendete Werk, sondern entschlossen und zugleich sinnierend in die Ferne, entsprechend der zitierten Zeile von Simrocks Gedicht, dass die Schlachten „oft ihm angst und bang‘ in seiner Seele machten“. Der Blick hat durchaus etwas Melancholisches, dass sich aus dem Wissen um die Notwendigkeit, Schwerter zu schmieden und zu den Waffen zu greifen und deren tödlichem Einsatz speist – Erfahrungen, die Albermann bei seinen eigenen Kriegseinsätze machen musste. Der wallende Vollbart verleiht dem in die Ferne schauenden Blick einen beinahe prophetischen Charakter. Dem Handwerk der formvollendenden Schmiedekunst entsprechend, gibt der detaillierte Guss die jeweils dargestellten Materialien in vollendeter Ausformung wieder: Die Lederschürze vermittelt überzeugend den Eindruck des Leders und liegt – auch in der Rückenansicht – wie eine zweite ausgeformte Schicht über dem Körper, während das Hemd und die Hose...

Frederick William MacMonnies (American, 1863-1937) Diana, 1890 Bronze with green verdigris patina Signed and dated Copyright 1894 with Jaboeuf & Rouard, Paris foundry mark 31 x 21 x 17 inches A sculptor of classical figures, American-born Frederick MacMonnies...

Half-blood Horse, head raised by Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) A bronze sculpture with a dark brown patina Signed on the base " Barye " Cast by " F. Barbedienne fondeur " (with th...

A late 19th century bronze of a hound, seated on a naturalistic base, after Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. Incised to base 'Paolo Troubetzkoy 1893', with a dark brown patina. Born in 1866...

19TH CENTURY CONTINENTAL SCHOOL Satyr with Cymbals and Kroupezion, Grand Tour after the Antique Bronze with marble base 26 in. h. x 15 in. w. x 10 in. d. This dancing faun is now mo...

Louis Kley (French, 1833-1911) The Lizard, 19th Century Gilt bronze and marble Signed to base 6.25 x 4.5 x 3 inches In Greco-Roman times, the lizard represented good fortune and reg...

A polychrome and gilt plaster statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The quality of the original gilding and the handling of the folds in the clothing are exceptional. A wonderful statu...

Outstanding 19th century Italian finely carved Carrara "Statuario" marble sculpture of Antinoo , after the Antique The Capitoline 'Antinous'. Antinous, a young Bithinius favorite...

A beautifully hand carved, full size Carrara marble figure of a boy. The robe is elegantly draped with clasps.

"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...

Grand Tour Italian, 19th Century Sandaled Foot of an Antiquity Bronze 5.5 x 12 x 5 inches

Warthog Divining Figure. Kuba, DRC. Late 19th century. Carved wood with palm oil patina, 12.5 incehes (l), 3.25 inches (h), 2 5/8 inches (d). Loss evident at tip of right ear and on snout. Provenance: Ex. collection Martin and Faith-Dorian Wright; J.J. Klegman; Angelo Caggiula-Carulucci, chief magistrate in Belgian Congo for King Leopold...

An Exceptional and Monumental White Marble Figural Sculpture Clock, "A Nubian Slaying The Lion" by Jean-Joseph Jacquet (Belgian, 1822–1898), circa 1860 This extremely impressive whi...

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse 1824–1887 French Allégorie de la Paix (Allegory of Peace) Signed “Carrier-Belleuse” White marble A vision of serenity and grace, Allégorie de la Pa...

ALBERT-ERNEST CARRIER-BELLEUSE French 1824 - 1887 signed: A. CARRIER Bronze Marmor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887) was a prominent French sculptor of the 19th centur...

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824 - 1887) Female Figural Bronze Sculpture Melodie (Melody)  A young lady with a lyre  in bronze with a dark green patina 19th Century  31" H x ...

Jean-Léon Gérôme French 1824 - 1904 La Joueuse De Cerceau - The Hoop Dancer A mini gilt bronze female figural statue of a young hoop dancer inspired by a trove of ancient terraco...

Antonio Tantardini (Italian, 1829-1879) An extraordinary Italian 19th century life size carved Carrara white marble sculpture of "A Young Child and a baby in a wicker crib" - A Risorgimento Allegory. Signed and dated: A.nio Tantanrdini F.ce / 1863. The older child's medallion inscribed with an interlocked XV and Garibaldi, the crib monogrammed: AR. Circa: Florence, 1863. This sculpture includes a recent custom-made veined black marble pedestal stand. (The 2 items description mean the sculpture and pedestal, which are sold as sold a set.) In a country famed for its skilled carvers and working in an age when virtuoso carving technique was highly prized, Antonio Tantardini was one of the very best exponents of master carvers in nineteenth century Italy. Vicario describes Tantardini's skill as 'un abilità tecnica stupefacente'. The present amazing quality marble group epitomizes Tantardini's exceptional talents as a carver. Lesser sculptors might have shied away from attempting to carve a life-size wicker crib in marble, but Tantardini has clearly relished the Challenge. The result is a stunning achievement of verismo Italian sculpture. This marble group, however, is more than a paradigm of Italian marble carving, it is also a prime example of the use of Risorgimento allegory in Italian sculpture of the 1860s. Famous sculptural Risorgimento allegories include Raffaelle Monti...

This is an outstanding bronze statue of Eutrope Bouret, signed on the base, by the very well-known French artist Eutrope Bouret (1833-1906). French antique bronze sculpture by Eutro...

Small bronze ornament - Bust of a woman. Italy, early 19th century. 8 x 8 x h 29 cm, without base h 23 cm. Made entirely of patinated and gilded bronze. Depicting a female figure i...

Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796-1875) Tiger surprising an antelope Bronze with nuanced dark greenish brown patina Signed on the base " Barye " Cast by Barye's own workshop (conducted in t...

Orientalist African Hunter Leaning on His Shield Black Forest, School Switzerland  19th century Carved Wood 21 inches This is an exceptionally beautifu...

Lion and snake n°3 by Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875) Bronze sculpture with a nuanced dark greenish brown patina signed "Barye" on the base old edition cast – probably from the Bary...

"I am a true Roman Emperor; I am of the best race of the Caesars—those who are founders." –Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812 Among the most iconic and celebrated figures in history, Napoleon...

Jean Baptiste Clesinger (French, 1814-1883) "Zingara" Patinated Bronze Sculpture, 1857, cast by F. Barbedienne, the Neapolitan dancer upholding a tambourine, signed "J Clesinger, Rom...

Eugène Laurent (1832-1898), The Beachcomber Inscribed "E. Laurent" on the base plate in the cast. H 63 cm Eugène Laurent studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was awa...

Signed: A. Carrier-Belluese Two large bronze matching busts of an unknown male and female 22 x 10 x 11" male 23 x 10 x 9" female Both show signs of wear with their age but are in fa...

"La Vague (The Wave)" is a figurative abstract bronze sculpture created by Camillle Claudel. The artwork is 24 1/4 x 19 x 24 inches, weighing less than 50 lbs. It is signed "C. Claud...

Originally conceived in 1880-82 for the tympanum of the Gates of Hell, where she is cradled in the arms of L'homme qui tombe, as well as crouching in slightly varied form to the lef...

Mathurin Moreau (French, 1822-1912) The Triumph of Flora Female figural statue of Flora and two putti resting on a rouge marble base. Bronze and Rouge Marble signed 'Math. Morea...

Antique Bronze Dog Sculpture Chihuahua "La Petite Belle Lydie" Charles Valton (French, 1851-1918) Circa 15 1/2 x 10 1/4 x 7 Lydie is a Chihuahua making her a very rare image from ...

Horse Clearing an Obstacle (work number 48) Bronze with dark brown green patina bearing the stamp of the signature "Degas", Numbered IV/IX and dated 1998 Posthumous lost wax casting as of 1998. Stamp of Valsuani. Signed Degas The work is a sought-after rarity in terms of Degas’ sculptures. This bronze is distinguished by the fact that it is a Valsuani bronze, meaning it faithfully records Degas’ wax version’s as it appeared at the time of its creation. Most Degas' bronzes that are found on the market were cast by Hébrard – these serialized bronzes are surmoulages, or “aftercasts,” that were cast from the modèle bronzes currently in the Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena). Because these Hebrard bronzes...

CHARNA RICKEY "THE COUPLE" BRONZE, SIGNED AMERICAN, DATED 1976, 14.5 INCHES OVERALL Recent casting

Pietro Bazzanti (1842-1881) specialized in allegorical and genre subjects as well as copies of Antique and Renaissance sculpture. Regarded as one of the most talented sculptors of h...

Gloria Victis, a winged figure of victory carrying a fallen warrior casted in bronze with brown patina. Inscribed with 'F. Barbedienne. Fonduer' mark and...

Henri Honoré Plé (1853 Paris - 1922 Paris), The Victorious David, around1890. Red-brown and brown patinated bronze with terrain plinth mounted on a round base. 42 cm (total height) x...

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...

Italian Portrait White Marble Bust in a Heroic Attitude. Carrara statuary Marble. Tuscan school. Circa 1850.  Bust depicting a young man with bare shoulders. This model draws inspira...

The base marked "A. Mercie" and "506 F. Barbenienne, Fondeur, Paris" ad "A. Collas" "Reduction Mecanique." The dazzling David, a prolific subject amongst sculpture artists beginning...

Isadore stands as one of the greatest animaliers of all time and this is a playful and endearing example of his work! Especially going forward, these bronzes make a distinctive and...

The Griffin Marco. Patinated bronze. Marble base. Signed and titled. Charles Valton was a French sculptor known for his works created in the animalier style, a 19th-century movement ...

Sculpture of a walking tiger in dark patinated bronze by Johan Axel Wetterlund (1858-1927), signed J. A. Wetterlund, mounted on a black-painted wooden base. This finely modelled bro...

Well modeled 19th century French bronze of a standing naked woman. Signed Cartinet, this piece is a wonderful example of the skill of a Sculptor. The piece retains all its origina...

Ferdinand Preiss(1882-1943)

This is an Emmanuel Villanis (1858-1914) bronze lamp “Bohemienne”. Lamp is in excellent condition . Has foundry mark from Paris on it. A really heavy a stunning bronze. 42 inches lo...

Francisque-Joseph Duret (Paris, 1804-1865), busto virile in marmo bianco. Francisque Joseph Duret (19 ottobre 1804 – 26 maggio 1865) è stato uno scultore francese, figlio e allievo ...

A very fine Italian 19th century Carrara marble sculpture depicting a young beauty going for a Swim standing on the steps of a dock, raised on its original carved green marble pedest...

This artwork "Chevre Allongee (Reclining Goat)" c. 1860, is bronze sculpture after renown French artist Antoine Louis Barye, 1796-1875. Signature is impressed in the bronze. The subject size is 4.25 x 7 x 3.35 inches, including marble base is 5.25 x 4 x 7.75 inches. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Antoine-Louis Barye lived his entire life in Paris and may never have left France. He was born in 1795 (a date revised in the 1990s from 1796 as a result of Martin Sonnabend's recalculation of the Revolutionary calendar). He is reported to have had minimal formal schooling even in reading, and to have acquired his extensive liberal-arts education on his own. His initial professional training was in metalwork: first with his father, a goldsmith from Lyons, then with a metal engraver in military equipment, and finally with Martin-Guillaume Biennais (active 1800-1832), then master goldsmith to Napoleon. After serving in the army from 1812 to 1814, Barye trained in the fine arts with sculptor François-Joseph Bosio (1768-1845) and painter Baron Gros (1771-1835). He then studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1818 to 1823. His miniature medallion, Milo of Crotona Devoured by a Lion, won an honorable mention in metal engraving in 1819, but he failed to win the Prix de Rome. He worked as a craftsman for the goldsmith Jacques-Henri Fauconnier (1779-1839) from 1823 to 1831 and made his Salon debut in 1827 with a selection of busts. Barye made his critical and public mark as a sculptor four years later, in the Salon of 1831, with groups representing predatory violence in the wild. His first government commission came soon after, precisely for such a subject. The Minister of the Interior purchased Barye's monumental plaster Lion (since called Lion Crushing a Serpent), shown in 1833, and had it cast in bronze by Honoré Gonon and shown in 1836, before placing it in the public Tuileries Gardens (now Musée du Louvre, Paris). In 1834 Barye was chosen for a project that was never executed, the colossal eagle as the crowning element of the triumphal arch at the Etoile. Around 1836 the government commissioned him to execute the emblematic animal decoration on the July Column at the place de la Bastille, inaugurated in 1840. He produced a monumental effigy of Saint Clotilde for the Church of the Madeleine, Paris, in the early 1840s. In 1846 the government commissioned a pendant Seated Lion for the Tuileries Lion Crushing a Serpent (1847, bronze, Portal, Pavillon de Flore, Palais du Louvre, Paris). During these same years the royal family began buying and commissioning small-scale works from Barye for their private collections. Around 1834, the duc d'Orléans commissioned a highly publicized surtout de table representing hunts of different regions and historical periods, possibly one of several tabletop projects that he ordered from Barye. The duc's sister Marie d'Orléans allegedly commissioned a lost-wax bronze of Barye's Charles VI Surprised in the Forest of Le Mans (location unknown; later serial variants), a model first shown in the Salon of 1833; his brother, the duc de Montpensier, apparently commissioned a pair of figurative...

Antique Bronze Portrait of a Draft Horse Isidore Jules Bonheur (France, 1827-1901) Circa 1840s Cast bronze mounted on a rectangular plinth atop a marble s...

Reclining Doe by Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875) Bronze sculpture with a nuanced dark brown patina signed "Barye" on the base old edition cast – probably from the Barye's workshop (...

Émile-Louis Picault (1833–1915) Egyptian Scribe 'Hierogrammate'   Date: circa 1880 French Signature: signed Picault on base Size: height 33 in. x 10.25 in

Portrait of a Lady by Charles CORDIER (1827-1905) A rare bust in white Carrara marble and onyx for the drape Signed on the backside " C. Cordier " Presented on a rounded white marbl...

Busto neoclassico in marmo raffigurante un dignitario romano in  erma. Epoca Impero, primo quarto del XIX secolo. Si tratta di un piccolo busto da scrivania raffigurante un giovan...

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875) Why Born a Slave (Replica after the original work) Tinted terracotta or plaster, 60 cm in height, base 18 x 20 cm Provenance: Private collection ...

Venus Italica, imposing sculpture in white Carrara marble, mid-nineteenth-century Roman atelier. Antonio Canova made several sculptures depicting Venus. The first was made as compen...

A 19th century 'Grand Tour' bronze figure of the Dancing Faun, standing on a bronze square plinth. The faun balances on his toes and pivots, his horned head raised, his hair wreathe...

A rare and important Italian alabaster bust sculpture of Jesus Christ, C. 1860 A modeled bust of Holy Christ wearing a crown of thorns, exceptional...

Artist: After Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1879) Title: Cheval Libre (Free Horse) Year: 1868 Medium: Cast bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Edition: Unknown Size: Inclu...

A Monumental Patinated Bronze Bust of George Washington, after William Rush (1817) This commanding bronze bust of George Washington is modeled after the celebrated 1817 portrait by ...

A very fine large, rare and charming, French, 19th century. Belle Époque carved white marble whimsical figural urn fountain depicting children climbing on an urn with flowers and gar...