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My selection
(6 Objects)

My selection (6 Objects)


Louis-Constant SÉVIN (1821-1888) and Ferdinand BARBEDIENNE (1810-1892), Exceptional Pair of Ornamental Vases in Bronze and Enamel, model presented during the International Exhibition of London in 1862

Ref.12600
Louis-Constant SÉVIN (1821-1888) and Ferdinand BARBEDIENNE (1810-1892), Exceptional Pair of Ornamental Vases in Bronze and Enamel, model presented during the International Exhibition of London in 1862

This exceptional pair of vases is the result of the collaboration between Louis Constant Sevin, drawer and designer, and Ferdinand Barbedienne, bronze maker and founder of the famous 19th century foundry of the same name. These vases are the same than a model presented on the Barbedienne's stand during the International Exhibition of London in 1862. We owe to the associations of the two men – which has lasted for more than thirty years, between 1855 and 1888 – an important collection of works of art and especially vases, showing the same colors and technical. Our ornament vases were made in bronze and show an outstanding and abundant decoration of champlevé enamel. The gilt bronze on the blue background and the polychromatic richness of the motif reminds of an imaginary and an inspiration coming from the East. The vases are adjoined with three gilt bronze handles with cat's heads, finished with claws on which they lean. The tie is adorned with amethyst cabochons. We notice in the shape and the decoration an eastern inspiration but above all an eclectic one, characteristic of the artistic tendency in France under the Second Empire. Indeed, Constant Sevin was inspired by the Greek style for the shape in amphora and by patterns belonging to the Arabic, or Persian decorative repertoires for the decoration. While the handles with cat's heads tend toward reminding Egypt, the technic of champlevé enamel dates back to Middle Ages. Thus, although critics spoke about a Byzantine style in 1862 for the inspiration of those vases, it seems more appropriate to talk today about eclecticism. Louis Constant Sevin having drew in visual references different by their styles, their periods of time or their geographic areas. With the creation of this pair of vases Ferdinand Barbedienne and Constant Sevin participate to the reborn of champleve enamel in the middle of the 19th century. The first technical tries of Barbedienne were made near 1858 and four years after he presents in the Great Exhibition of London a stand mainly composed of works of art inlaid of enamels – like the model of our vase – which does not leave the critic indifferent. Successful, these vases were republished, maybe for private orders, sometimes with some changes, such as the cat's ears orientation, the feet shapes or the replacement of cabochons by palms, nevertheless the pattern stayed the same. We can find for instance, two similar vases, forming a pair in the collections of the Orsay Museum in Paris.

Dimensions:
Width: 28 cm
Height: 78 cm

Pair of cast iron and polished bronze andirons

Dimensions:
Width: 6 cm
Height: 16 cm
Depth: 31 cm

The Oration of Mark Antony, second half of the 19th century

Ref.13398
The Oration of Mark Antony, second half of the 19th century

This painting, depicting Marc Antony’s funeral oration over the body of Julius Caesar, was executed in the second half of the 19th century, after 1879. The scene of this painting takes place in the days following Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C.E. Around twenty conspiratorial senators had struck him down with their weapons. In the aftermath of the event, Rome descended into turmoil. While the Senate sought to preserve peace, Caesar’s funeral, depicted here, only added to the public disorder: initially, the people seemed inclined to align with the conspirators, but the public display of Caesar’s body, Marc Antony’s speech, and the reading of the late consul’s will turned the tide. This is the moment shown in the painting, recounted by various ancient authors, including Suetonius and Appian of Alexandria, as well as by Shakespeare. The imposing architectural setting is structured by a grand staircase and monumental columns, symbolizing both the might of the Roman Empire and Caesar’s authority at its helm. The funeral bed occupies a central place, bearing an inanimate body, pale yet dignified. The grieving populace, gathered to mourn the great man, forms a long diagonal line that fades into the shadowy background, suggesting an endless crowd. The variety of figures, their number, and the diversity of gestures and expressions represent the entirety of the Roman people, come to pay homage to the consul. On the right, Marc Antony raises Caesar’s bloodstained toga. The scene seems drawn from Shakespeare’s tragedy, in which Marc Antony descends from his platform to invite the people to gather around Caesar for the reading of his will. Suetonius, meanwhile, describes Caesar’s funeral pyre erected in the Field of Mars: the body is laid on an “ivory bier draped in purple and gold” alongside the “garments he wore when he was killed.” The painter carefully portrays the “procession of all those wishing to bring offerings.” Appian of Alexandria adds the detail of Piso, Caesar’s executor, who insisted on making the will and the funeral public. Piso may be the figure descending the steps in the upper right, holding a parchment scroll. According to Appian, after Caesar’s body was carried to the Forum, Marc Antony read aloud his decrees and, overcome with grief, “unveiled Caesar’s body, displayed his robe... torn by dagger blows and still stained with blood.” Although the painter embraces pathos, he refrains from depicting Caesar’s face disfigured by wounds, as described in Plutarch’s account. Beyond the architectural details and textual fidelity, the artist’s taste for historicism is evident in the inclusion of incense burners and the meticulous rendering of garments. According to ancient sources, the tumult caused by Caesar’s funeral was so great that it culminated in the creation of a spontaneous pyre, as the crowd could not agree on another location and the risk of fire was lessened in the Forum. The people then sought to avenge Caesar by setting fire to the homes of the conspirators. The moment depicted is thus a pivotal one: between approval of the assassins and mourning, and between mourning and vengeance, embodying a peak of tension and emotional expressiveness. The renowned German history painter Karl von Piloty created an Assassination of Julius Caesar that might be considered a prelude to this work. Though less famous than the assassination of Julius Caesar, the subject of Marc Antony’s oration saw renewed interest in the 19th century. For instance, Georg Edward Robertson (1864-1926) created a Funeral Oration of Marc Antony Over the Body of Caesar around 1894-1895, now held in the Hartlepool Museums’ collections. Its composition features similar elements to this painting: an imposing architectural framework evocative of ancient Rome; the mourning crowd; the body laid out for all to see; and Marc Antony, advocating for Caesar and his cause against that of the tyrannicides. This monumental work thus captures a lesser-known but equally fertile subject, rich in expressiveness and historical representation, deeply rooted in the century of its creation.

Dimensions:
Width: 227 cm
Height: 161 cm