Object Description
This large patinated bronze antique sculpture depicts the Classical figure Penelope, the wife of Odysseus (Roman name Ulysses) who appears in Homer’s Odyssey. The sculpture is set on an oval base and Penelope is shown sleeping on a chair with a spindle in her right hand, waiting for the return of her husband. The sculpture was designed by sculptor Pierre-Jules Cavelier (French, 1814-1894) and cast into bronze by master 19th Century bronzier Ferdinand Barbedienne (French, 1810-1892). There are signatures on the base of the sculpture, reading ‘J. CAVALIER’ and ‘F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR’.