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19th Century Gilt Bronze Sculpture of Aurora

$2,138.38
£1,604.18
€1,800
CA$2,960.75
A$3,217.82
CHF 1,724.46
MX$39,070.10
NOK 21,649.55
SEK 20,076.66
DKK 13,712.66

About the Item

A fire-gilt bronze sculpture of Aurora, also known as Eos in Greek mythology, created in France during the Empire period around 1810. She rises lightly onto one foot, poised atop a gleaming sphere that symbolizes the dawn ascending over the world. Beneath this celestial globe rests a crisp white marble disk, itself supported by a block of deep black marble, giving the composition a striking architectural clarity. Aurora is rendered in the pure, idealized manner favoured by early nineteenth-century neoclassicism—her figure slender, elongated, and animated by a subtle forward motion. Above her head she holds a flowing veil, shaped by the wind into a graceful arch, as if she were unfolding the first light of morning across the sky. The drapery, though delicate, introduces a dramatic counter-movement, sweeping behind and around her with a sense of celestial breeze. Between her raised foot and the sphere lies a pillar-like cascade of cloud, flame, or stylized waves—an effect sometimes used by Empire sculptors to “lift” the figure visually and to create equilibrium when the goddess balances upon a single point. This vertical plume gives the composition an ethereal buoyancy, allowing Aurora to appear both anchored to the world and rising away from it. In mythology, Aurora (Eos) is the bringer of dawn, opening the gates of heaven each morning to let the sun rise. Empire-period artists were drawn to her as a symbol of renewal, purity, and celestial order. In this sculpture, those themes are distilled into a single gesture—her arched veil, her lifted heel, her luminous ascent above the world. The fire gilding enhances this effect, giving her surface a soft radiance that echoes her divine role as the herald of light. The contrasting marbles beneath her form a deliberate visual foundation: the black marble evokes the night she dispels, while the white marble plate represents the first pale glow of day. Together they complete the allegory, allowing Aurora to emerge with the serenity and quiet drama characteristic of early nineteenth-century French bronzework.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 8.27 in (21 cm)Width: 4.34 in (11 cm)Depth: 4.34 in (11 cm)
  • Style:
    Empire (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    ca.1810
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. A few minor insignificant chips on the marble. See photos.
  • Seller Location:
    Stockholm, SE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1006847642212

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