Ref.13480
"Allegory of the Sculpture sculpting Hebe and Jupiter's eagle", gilt bronze and marble sculpture

This very original sculpture made in the second half of the 19th century depicts a subject in marble and gilt bronze put on a Napoleon III style base in Red Griotte marble mounted in gilt bronze. This mount shows a decor of chimeras on the four scroll feet, lightened up with fruits baskets. The artist chose to depicts here an allegory of Sculpture made of gilt bronze, showing a laurel leaves crown on her head and dressed with a beautiful drapery tied around her waist, of which it seems necessary to notice the importance given to the work of the many folds. This young woman holds in each of her hands the sculptor attributes : the hammer and the chisel. She is here represented sculpting a marble statue of which the white color is contrasting with the gilt bronze. This sculpture of a naked woman seems to be the representation of the goddess Hebe accompanied with Jupiter's eagle next to her feet. Youth and vitality Goddess, Hebe is also the cupbearer of the gods, before the arrival of Ganymede on the Mount Olympus, bringing to the gods the nectar and ambrosia to give them the eternal youth.

Ref.13712
Set of 3 molded double doors

Ref.15009
Conrad KIESEL (after), Japonist portrait of a woman wearing a kimono, circa 1880

This portrait of a European woman dressed in Japanese attire within a Japan-inspired setting was likely created after a work by the German painter Conrad Kiesel, which shares the same features. Several copies of this work, executed like ours in oil printed on embossed leather, were nevertheless attributed to Franz Schier. The woman, with European facial features, stands out against a background of embossed leather decorated with floral, butterfly (a symbol of eternity in Far Eastern cultures) and dragon motifs. Dressed in traditional Japanese style, she wears a short-sleeved kimono (tomesode) with an obi (broad Japanese belt) tied at the back. Her hair is arranged with a butterfly-shaped comb and hair sticks, and she holds a fan in her right hand. However, her bracelet hints more at general orientalism than strict japonisme. In the lower right corner, her legs appear entwined within a cluster of pink flowers, subtly contributing to the imbalance in her posture. The fascination for Japanese art that emerged in the latter half of the 19th century – following Japan’s re-opening to international trade and its participation in the 1867 Universal Exposition – came to be known as “japonism”. This movement sparked a revolution in Western art, profoundly influencing artists across various fields. This portrait reflects the powerful impact of Japanese art on Western creations of the late 19th century, not only in subject matter but also in execution, particularly in the intentional absence of depth and perspective, which is slightly offset by the presence of flowers.