13 Exceptional Bronzes and Sumptuous Marbles

The Gates of Paradise, Barbedienne Foundry, French, second half 19th century, after Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455).
Estimate £50,000–70,000.

These imposing copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s celebrated Baptistery Doors retain much of the original’s astonishing naturalism and virtuosity. Collectively comprising one of the most celebrated artworks of Quattrocento Florence, the demand among wealthy collectors of the 19th century for reproductions of the Renaissance portal was not surprising.

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Odoardo Tabacchi, Hypatia.
Estimate £70,000–100,000.

The rediscovery of this sculpture marks an important moment in the history of Italian 19th century sculpture. A poignant and emotive tribute to the brilliant female classical mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Hypatia , Tabacchi’s masterpiece captures the moment before Hypatia’s agonising death.

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Alfred Boucher, Au But (The Finishing Line).
Estimate £30,000–50,000.

Boucher’s Au But is one of his best-known models, depicting three athletes in the last desperate moments of a race, each stretching a hand forward to touch the finishing line. The impact of the sculpture is based on the powerful dynamism of the athletes and the precarious balance on the base, as the entire group seems to thrust forward.

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Raffaello Romanelli, Acquaiola (Water Carrier).
Estimate £40,000–60,000.

Raffaello Romanelli is considered one of the foremost Italian monumental sculptors of his generation. The imposing presence and effortless elegance of the present marble are indicative of the sculptor’s thorough understanding of sculptural naturalism.

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Antoine-Louis Barye, Thesée et le Minotaure.
Estimate £50,000–70,000.

This is one of the finest casts of Barye’s Thesée et le Minotaure to have been at auction, and formed part of the collection of the animalier sculptor Roger Godchaux. The strictly archaic Greek Theseus, his hair stylised and linear and legs planted firmly apart, makes a composed combatant for the more romantically conceived Minotaur.

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Luigi Bienaimé, L’Amor Divino (Divine Love).
Estimate £20,000–30,000.

Luigi Bienaimé, who had won a scholarship from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, became Thorvaldsen’s chief assistant and from 1819 managed his studio with Tenerani and Freund. The present figure is one of just two marble versions of L’Amor Divino known to exist.

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Holme Cardwell, Diana.
Estimate £120,000–180,000.

Leaning against a tree and having shed her clothes, shoes and weapons, the goddess just enters the water with the tips of her toes. Observing the idealised facial features of Diana , one is immediately reminded of the work of famous neoclassical sculptors such as Bertel Thorvaldsen and Antonio Canova. The appearance of the present marble at auction provides the opportunity to acquire a lifesize marble of museum quality which embodies the essence of late neoclassical sculpture.

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Edouard Houssin, Leda and the Swan.
Estimate £30,000–50,000.

This sensuous marble showcases the sculptor’s Romantic interpretation of mythological subjects. Leaning back in ecstasy as she feels the soft feathers of the gently advancing swan behind her, Leda appears gladly receptive to Jupiter’s seduction.

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Charles-Auguste Fraikin, L’Artiste (Allegory of Painting).
Estimate £30,000–50,000.

This marble , a slightly frivolous interpretation of an Allegory of painting, shows Fraikin’s affinity with Rococo sculpture, particularly its prevalence of putti. Fraikin’s sculptures embody a warm, sentimental blend of classicism, and were particularly favoured by the Belgian bourgeoisie.

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Prosper d’Epinay, Les Trois Heures de la Vie (The Three Hours of Life).
Estimate £50,000–70,000.

Based on a full-scale chimneypiece, the present group is a supremely elegant allegory for the three hours of the day , which serve as allegories for the three stages of life: youth, maturity, and old age. While Morning and Dusk are represented as languid, reclining nudes, the dynamic Midday stands holding a lit torch, her dress billowing. With its exquisite drapery and beautiful details, this work is representative of the sculptor’s oeuvre.

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Donato Barcaglia, Biscottino! (Girl Feeding her Dog).
Estimate £30,000–50,000.

This delightful marble of a young woman offering a treat to her lap dog exemplifies Barcaglia’s preoccupation with beautifully carved and highly realistic genre subjects. During a period of outstanding technical accomplishment in marble carving, Barcaglia was renowned for the exceptional quality of his work in this medium.

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Emmanuel Frémiet, Chatte et ses Petits (Cat Feeding her Kittens).
Estimate £20,000–30,000.

As the original and unique Salon marble of Frémiet’s first important animalier group, and his first state commission, this marble is a highly significant and iconic work among the artist’s existing corpus. The cat’s anatomy and fur are treated with astonishing scientific accuracy, tempered by an illusionistic treatment of the surface which brings to life the softness of the feline’s coat.

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Julien Dillens, Kneeling Nude.
Estimate: £60,000-80,000

The present figure is a rare marble reduction of a model which enjoyed resounding success, being exhibited numerous times during (and after) Dillens’ lifetime, before being acquired by the Belgian State. The reduction preserves the emotional intensity and quiet piety of the girl’s manner, and in the smaller dimensions the marble has a jewel-like quality, both precious and tender.

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