Object Description
A pair of mid 19th century (circa 1840) French miniature bronze figures of ‘Le Baiser Donne’ (The Kiss Given) and ‘Le Baiser Rendu’ (The Kiss Returned) after Jean Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).
This pair of bronze figures are a representation of romance, ‘Encore’ (The Kiss Given) depicts the man kissing the woman and ‘Becaux’ depicts the woman kissing the man, the bronze of ‘Encore’ having a garland of roses around both figures.
The bronze figures are both supported on gilt socles with bead and rope twist designs leading down to bleu turquin marble pedestals each with a brass plaque, one inscribed ‘Encore’, the other inscriber ‘Becaux’ with gilt chain suspended below terminating with circular gilt bases with rope twist and bead designs.
The original sculpture of ‘Le Baiser Donne’ was sculpted by the renowned French Neoclassical artist Jean Antoine Houdon circa 1772-1774 in terracotta and he later created a companion figure, ‘Le Baiser Rendu’, both figures were produced in bronze and these became famous sculptures of the 18th century.
Many of these figures were reproduced in smaller scale in the late 19th century in workshops such as that of Houdon’s former pupil Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Thomire known for producing high quality bronze casts and metalwork.
Jean-Antoine Houdon was a French Neoclassical portrait sculptor born in Versailles in 1741 and died in Paris in 1828, famous for realistic contemporary cultural and political figures of the French Enlightenment.
He spent around 10 years in Italy winning the Prie de Rome in 1761 and was influenced by Classical masters such as Michelangelo often working directly from life or casting the model’s face.
He returned to Paris and submitted ‘Morpheus’ to the Salon of 1771 and subsequently produced many portrait busts including one for the Palace of Versailles.
The Wallace Collection houses a very similar pair of bronzes to these with similar pedestals and metalwork which they attribute to Thomire.
This pair of bronzes are in very good condition for age and can go straight into a home or collection.
Size:
Height: 10” / 25.5cm
Width: 5” / 12.75cm
Depth: 4” / 10cm