Large Bronze Ornament Signed "clodion"

Important mantelpiece set in patinated bronze andgilded bronze, 19th-century – Central group signed Clodion, bronzes ofexceptional quality attributed to François Rémond
Remarkable mantelpiece set consisting of acentral group and two accompanying figures, executed in bronze with a deep brownpatina and finely chiseled, mercury-gilded bronze, resting on basesof marble and gilded bronze.
The main group, signed Clodion, depicts aBacchic composition of great vitality: a satyr carrying a Bacchantein a spiraling movement, characteristic of the master’sfree and virtuosic style. The figures’ forms are modeled with suppleness, their expressions full oflife, and the composition reveals a subtle balance between tension and grace.The ensemble rests on a circular base adorned with a frieze of putti andscrollwork of particularly refined execution.The two figures on either side depict dancing Bacchantes,holding thyrses adorned with vine leaves in gilded bronze. The treatment of thefigures—slender and elegant—harmoniously complements the dynamism of thecentral group, forming a decorative ensemble of great aesthetic coherence.It is worth emphasizing the trulyexceptional quality of the chiseling and gilding, which lends thisornamentation a particularly precious character. The details of the hair,the foliage, the Bacchic attributes, and the friezes are rendered withremarkable finesse, while the richly applied mercury gildingdisplays subtle contrasts between matte and burnished finishes, revealing craftsmanship ofthe very highest order.Thanks to the precision of the chiseling, the sharpness of the reliefs, andthe sophistication of the gilding, this set can be compared to theworks of the great bronze casters and gilders of the late 18th century, andin particular attributed to the circle of François Rémond, famous for theincomparable quality of his mountings and decorative bronzes intended for aprincely clientele.Resting on bases richly adorned with gilded bronze friezesand marble plinths, the set reflects the 19th-century taste for therediscovery and reinterpretation of 18th-century models, in aparticularly luxurious execution.