Object Description
A beautifully sculpted Italian solid white Carrara marble bust sculpture of a Grecian Lady wearing a floral garland, signed by Eugene Antoine Aizelin, and dating from circa 1850.
This neoclassical-style bust is of a young woman with a downcast gaze, her head slightly inclined, with soft, wavy hair wearing a floral wreath.
She has bare shoulders and neck and is raised on a pedestal.
Eugene Antoine Aizelin was a French sculptor born in 1821 who participated at the French Salons from 1852 to 1897 and the World’s Fairs of 1878, 1889 and 1900. At the World’s Fair of 1889, he was awarded the gold medal. He was regularly commissioned for important sculpted decors of Parisian monuments such as the Louvre Palace, the Opera Garnier & the City Hall of Paris.
The attention to detail throughout the piece is second to none and the figure is extremely lifelike.
Condition:
In really excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 53 cm x Width 21 cm x Depth 27 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 1 foot, 9 inches x Width 8 inches x Depth 11 inches
Eugène Antoine Aizelin (1821-1902)
Eugène Aizelin was born to the marriage of designer Claude-Jacques Aizelin and Marie-Louise-Eugénie Delan. He entered the School of Fine Arts on April 3, 1844, where he was a pupil of sculptors Jules Ramey and Auguste Dumont. Subsequently, Aizelin participated in the Salons from 1852 to 1897 and in the Universal Exhibitions of 1878, 1889 and 1903. There, he won several awards: a third medal at the Salon of 1859, a second medal in 1861, a third medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1878. Finally, he sent his bronze Mignon group to the Universal Exhibition of 1889 at which it was awarded a gold medal.
Aizelin received orders for several Parisian monuments: the Châtelet theater, the Opéra Garnier, the Paris city hall, the Louvre palace and the churches of the Trinity and Saint-Roch.
Carrara marble is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It is quarried at the city of Carrara in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany, Italy).
Carrara marble has been used since the time of Ancient Rome; the Pantheon and Trajan’s Column in Rome are constructed of it. Many sculptures of the Renaissance, such as Michelangelo’s David, were carved from Carrara marble. For Michelangelo at least, Carrara marble was valued above all other stone, except perhaps that of his own quarry in Pietrasanta. The Marble Arch in London and the Duomo di Siena are also made from this stone, as are the interiors of Manila Cathedral, the cold-white marbles of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the campus of Harvard Medical School.
Our reference: A5307