New Époque: Adrian Alan - Selected Works
New Époque: Adrian Alan - Selected Works
LOUIS-ERNEST BARRIAS | LA NATURE SE DÉVOILANT DEVANT LA SCIENCE (NATURE REVEALING HERSELF TO SCIENCE)
Lot Closed
October 28, 02:13 PM GMT
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
LOUIS-ERNEST BARRIAS
French
1841-1905
LA NATURE SE DÉVOILANT DEVANT LA SCIENCE (NATURE REVEALING HERSELF TO SCIENCE)
signed: E. Barrias, inscribed: Susse Fres Edtrs / Paris and with a pastille flanked by the letters P and S inscribed: SUSSE FRERES EDITEURS PARIS
bronze, gilt and light brown patina
72.5cm., 28½in.
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RELATED LITERATURE
P. Fusco and H. Janson, The Romantics to Rodin, exh. cat. Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, 1980, pp. 118-120, no. 10
Barrias exhibited the model of La Nature in white marble at the salon of 1893. This first version was entirely nude apart from the veil which hung over her head and fell to her feet at her back. Suitably, given its title, the marble was purchased by the Medical Faculty of Bordeaux. Barrias exhibited the model again in 1899 partly clothed, like the present model, and fashioned out of coloured stones, fitting into the vogue for chryselephantine sculpture. The contemporary allegory of the title reflects its modernity and thinly disguises the essence of the composition: a beautiful woman undressing.
The present bronze version of the model exhibits an attractively variegated patina, with the green colouring of the scarab below the bosom providing a notable accent.