The Nymph Salmacis François-joseph Bosio (1768-1845)
Artist: Bosio
Rare bronze reduction with a richly shaded brown patina.
Beautiful Barbedienne edition cast, marked on the terrace.
Resting on an oval base, it bears an ink inscription as well as engraved numbers and stamped letters on the reverse.
Dimensions: H. 15 x W. 17.5 x D. 10.7 cm.
This superb bronze depicts the nymph Salmacis at rest, her body elegantly supported by her left arm, playing with the toes of her right foot. The nymph is partially draped at the waist; the fabric falls between her legs in grouped folds, suggestively revealing the curve of her buttocks. Her head is encircled by a finely sculpted floral diadem, and her hair is tied back at the back of her neck in the antique style.
History and context:
This is a famous model by François-Joseph Bosio, whose original marble is preserved in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Bosio first exhibited the plaster Salmacis at the Salon de Paris of 1819 (no. 1208), then again at the Salon of 1824 (no. 2268). The marble version was commissioned by King Charles X on August 3, 1826 and delivered to the Magasin du Louvre on October 3, 1836. It was exhibited at the 1837 Paris Salon (no. 1870) and, after being conserved at the Musée du Luxembourg between 1840 and 1849, was finally transferred to the Louvre in 1849.
This model is considered a masterpiece of late French neoclassical sculpture. Bosio's decision to exhibit it three times between 1819 and 1837 testifies to the high esteem in which his Salmacis was held.
About the artist:
Born in Monaco in 1768 and died in Paris in 1845, François-Joseph Bosio was a Franco-Monegasque sculptor, painter, draughtsman and engraver. He was the master of Antoine-Louis Barye.
Bosio's Salmacis Nymph has become one of the cultural symbols of the Principality of Monaco. A reproduction can be admired on the Rainier III Sculpture Path, and its aesthetic directly inspires the trophies of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
Reference document:
Extract from the Barbedienne catalog of 1845:
SOCIÉTÉ A. COLLAS & BARBEDIENNE, BRONZES D'ART, ANNÉE 1845, PARIS (Pages 3, 5 and 7):
BRONZES (FONTES D'ART).
Reduction of originals.
CONTEMPORARY WORKS.
SALMACIS (nymph), by M. le baron Bosio, de l'Institut.
The marble is in the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris.
* "These large reductions, which fully preserve the purity and monumental aspect of the masterpieces of statuary, are sought-after for museums, private galleries, amateur cabinets and also, as spare parts, for homes where the taste for beauty and the love of the products of serious art are manifested."
High Definition photo file on request.
Beautiful Barbedienne edition cast, marked on the terrace.
Resting on an oval base, it bears an ink inscription as well as engraved numbers and stamped letters on the reverse.
Dimensions: H. 15 x W. 17.5 x D. 10.7 cm.
This superb bronze depicts the nymph Salmacis at rest, her body elegantly supported by her left arm, playing with the toes of her right foot. The nymph is partially draped at the waist; the fabric falls between her legs in grouped folds, suggestively revealing the curve of her buttocks. Her head is encircled by a finely sculpted floral diadem, and her hair is tied back at the back of her neck in the antique style.
History and context:
This is a famous model by François-Joseph Bosio, whose original marble is preserved in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Bosio first exhibited the plaster Salmacis at the Salon de Paris of 1819 (no. 1208), then again at the Salon of 1824 (no. 2268). The marble version was commissioned by King Charles X on August 3, 1826 and delivered to the Magasin du Louvre on October 3, 1836. It was exhibited at the 1837 Paris Salon (no. 1870) and, after being conserved at the Musée du Luxembourg between 1840 and 1849, was finally transferred to the Louvre in 1849.
This model is considered a masterpiece of late French neoclassical sculpture. Bosio's decision to exhibit it three times between 1819 and 1837 testifies to the high esteem in which his Salmacis was held.
About the artist:
Born in Monaco in 1768 and died in Paris in 1845, François-Joseph Bosio was a Franco-Monegasque sculptor, painter, draughtsman and engraver. He was the master of Antoine-Louis Barye.
Bosio's Salmacis Nymph has become one of the cultural symbols of the Principality of Monaco. A reproduction can be admired on the Rainier III Sculpture Path, and its aesthetic directly inspires the trophies of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
Reference document:
Extract from the Barbedienne catalog of 1845:
SOCIÉTÉ A. COLLAS & BARBEDIENNE, BRONZES D'ART, ANNÉE 1845, PARIS (Pages 3, 5 and 7):
BRONZES (FONTES D'ART).
Reduction of originals.
CONTEMPORARY WORKS.
SALMACIS (nymph), by M. le baron Bosio, de l'Institut.
The marble is in the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris.
* "These large reductions, which fully preserve the purity and monumental aspect of the masterpieces of statuary, are sought-after for museums, private galleries, amateur cabinets and also, as spare parts, for homes where the taste for beauty and the love of the products of serious art are manifested."
High Definition photo file on request.
4 500 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Other Style
Condition: Good condition
Material: Bronze
Width: 17,5
Height: 15
Depth: 10,7
Reference (ID): 1764392
Availability: In stock
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