Pair Of Voltaire & Rousseau Bronzes - Restoration Period

    Pair of bronze statuettes with a brown patina from the Restoration period (circa 1820–1830) depicting the two famous philosophers of the Enlightenment, Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Each figure is depicted seated in an armchair with tapered legs in the Directoire/Empire style. Voltaire is shown wearing his famous dressing gown with deep draped folds, sporting his characteristic mischievous expression. Rousseau, meanwhile, is depicted as a younger man in his pleated ruffled jacket, holding a manuscript in his hand. These library bronzes rest on imposing and elegant cubic bases made of Sienna yellow marble. The bases are embellished with a molded bronze ingot holder with a patina finish and a collar of natural bronze godrons, providing superb stability and a high-end finish to the entire piece.
The Parisian casting and chiseling work is of great finesse, particularly evident in the rendering of the drapery, the precision of the hands, and the expressiveness of the faces inspired by the models of Houdon and Rosset.

Period: Restoration (19th century, circa 1820–1830)
Materials: Bronze with a brown patina, natural bronze, and Sienna yellow marble
Total height: 22 cm