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Bronze Sculpture

Object description :

"Bronze Sculpture "

Bronze sculpture with brown patina entitled "Sappho" work by artist James Pradier (1790-1852) and produced by the foundry of Art Susse et Frères. Signature "J. Pradier" and "Susse et Fres". The original sculpture "Sappho" made in marble in 1852 is on display at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Period: 19th century Artist: James Pradier (1790-1852) Known and esteemed since 1820, Pradier received orders from all regimes: the Restoration and the July Monarchy enabled him to execute important works, notably for the Chamber deputies in 1830, for the Place de la Concorde in 1836, or the pediment of Luxembourg in 1840. The female figure is the central theme of his work. The work: "Sappho" 1852 One cannot however reduce his style to the simple introduction of a kind sensualism in the antiquizing repertoire: the painfully contained and secretly thrilling drama of Sappho (1852) brings an exemplary confirmation of it. Certainly the figure combines the nobility of the marble and the dignity of the subject, but the clarity of the construction, the fierce character of the gesture, the meditative intensity of the expression suddenly give it an intense presence and interiority: the ancient poetess Sapho, desperate, think of suicide. Everything shows here that Pradier remains an ambivalent artist, with multiple talents. Soon recognized by the Academy, he did not hesitate to explore the paths of romanticism, as in this subject borrowed from literature. He was linked to Victor Hugo and several times publicly supported by him. Sapho was exhibited at the Salon in 1852 when the sculptor died suddenly: it was then covered with a black veil, and the medal of honor of the exhibition was awarded posthumously to the artist. Source Musée d'Orsay.

Susseet Frères foundry: Since 1841 The two Susse brothers, Nicolas and Victor, began by selling small bronzes in their stationery at the Passage des Panoramas in Paris. We find traces of their new activity as founders of art in 1839, they publish a small catalog of their production. It was their first major contract with a renowned sculptor, James Pradier, who launched their business in 1841.

Sappho is a Greek poetess from Antiquity who lived in the 7th century and 6th century BC. JC, in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos.
Poem: "It seems to me equal to the gods He who sits near you, Taste the sweetness of your voice And the delights Of this laughter that melts my heart And makes it beat on my lips. As soon as I see your face, My voice breaks, My tongue dries in my mouth, A subtle fire runs under my skin, My ears become deaf, My blind eyes. My body is dripping with sweat, A tremor seizes me all, I become greener than the grass. I think I am dying ... "