Object Description
A Large Figural Bronze Sculpture of Salammbô
By Marcel Début
The patinated figure representing the character from Gustave Flaubert’s titular novel Salammbô, as evidenced by the cartouche bearing her name on the tapered plinth, the ancient Carthaginian priestess dressed in exotic flowing garb and holding a harp. Signed ‘Marcel Debut.’
French, circa 1900
Based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Gustave Flaubert, telling the story of the priestess and daughter of the Carthaginian leader Hamilcar Barca during the 3rd century BCE and her quest to retrieve the sacred veil. Her tragic and mysterious death, combined with her beauty and connection to the divine, made her a captivating subject for artists to depict. Other artists such as René de Saint-Marceaux and Desiré Maurice Ferrary also sought to pay homage to Flaubert’s Salammbô.
Marcel Debut (1865-1933)
Marcel Debut was a French sculptor known for his detailed bronze works in the Art Nouveau and academic styles. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and gained recognition for his finely crafted figures, often depicting mythological and historical subjects such as Salammbô. Debut exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français and was celebrated for his realistic, romantic sculptures popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.