Agathon Léonard - Saint Cecilia - 19th Century Bronze Plaque

Presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the work is a portrait of Saint Cecilia, the theme of saints being very fashionable at the time. The bronze bas-relief represents the young woman in profile at half-length. Her gaze is piously directed towards the sky. A ring encircles her long wavy hair which falls down her back. The arrangement of the hairstyle reveals the outline of a delicate ear. A halo, a perfect circle, encircles the head of the character and recalls her celestial nature. Cecilia is dressed in a rich brocade coat held by a buckle. Serenity and piety emerge from this sober and elegant effigy which is reminiscent of the portraits of the Italians of the Quattrocento.

Born in Belgium in 1841, Agathon Léonard studied at the Academic Schools of Lille and then at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. After settling in the capital where he exhibited at the Salon of 1868, he joined the Society of French Artists and then the National Society of Fine Arts in 1897. Committed to the Art Nouveau movement, he exhibited many pieces, in particular at the Universal Exhibition of 1900. He made many medallions, statuettes in bronze, porcelain or Sèvres biscuit. The female figure is one of his favorite subjects.

Saint Cecilia by Agathon Léonard.
Bas relief in copper-plated bronze. Signed "A. Léonard".
Circular stamp "Thiebaut Frères Paris - Fumière et Gavignot Srs", stamp used between 1898 and 1905. Perfect condition.