17th Century Flemish Or French School "cupid Making The Iron Of His Arrow Red Hot"

Flemish or French school of the 17th century after a model from the entourage of François Duquesnoy (1597-1643) "Cupid making the iron of his arrow redden" Bronze with brown patina, and traces of nuanced red-brown The cast, of excellent quality, was made using the lost wax technique, as evidenced by the visible internal irregularities, the absence of mechanical assembly and the old patina with brown, golden and verdigris reflections. The interior of the sculpture, not industrialized, presents traces of natural oxidation consistent with a creation prior to the 19th century Carved wooden base and gilded with later gold leaf Our bronze is distinguished by a very great technical mastery of its author, both in terms of the cast and the patina, giving a gentle, wise and debonair attitude while remaining focused on its action. Although the model of this charming cupid heating the iron of his arrow above a small hearth is not listed in the artist's catalogue raisoné, its subject and composition are similar to the famous putti and other loves of the Flemish artist active in Rome in the 17th century, François Duquesnoy. The very Algardian attitude of the half-reclining child was in fact taken up many times by the famous artist in the execution of small bronze art depicting cupids or children of passion. The treatment of the draperies and the hair, the canon of the face are also very close, testifying to the diffusion of his style and the enthusiasm of generations of artists for this charming theme of the "François children" in the following centuries. The skillful balance of the composition as well as the attention paid to the finishes illustrate the perfect technical mastery of the bronze makers of this period. Dimensions with base: 57 x 50 CM