catalog text
LOUIS JULIEN FRANCESCHI
French, 1825-1893
"Andromède" (1857)
Medium-brown patina with complex undertones of verde, rouge and burnished highlights | signed in cast "Franceschi" | conceived 1857, cast circa 1880
Item # 303MPE23W
A stunningly beautiful depiction of Andromeda, the daughter of Queen Cassiope of Joppa and King Cepheus, she is stripped and chained to a rock as the wind sweeps her body and her wet hair is plastered to the stone, a sacrifice held captive for the monster Cetus.
In her hubris, Cassiope made the ill-fated boast that her daughter's beauty surpassed that of the Nereids. The nymphs of the sea were so enraged that they asked their father Poseidon for revenge. He sent the sea monster, Cetus, to wreak devastation upon the kingdom of Cepheus. Only by sacrificing Andromeda to the beast could save the kingdom, so she was chained to a rock and was left to die. However, as Perseus flew past her on his winged horse Pegasus, he immediately fell in love with her and slew the great beast.
Franceschi exhibited an example of this sculpture in marble at the Paris Salon of 1859 and the present example was cast circa 1880. An incredibly fine casting, it features a rich nuanced patina ranging from an overall medium-brown to hints of red, green, gold and auburn in the brilliantly textured and chiseled surface. Note the exquisite hammering and chiseling of her hair as it scatters across the rock. And the vibrant articulation of the mottled rocky surface. Her body is naturally the focal point of the work and inordinate care is shown in positioning and modeling her form. The rock is signed along the side "Franceschi".A very fine acquisition for the serious collector.
French by naturalization and Italian by birth, Louis Julien Franceschi was born in Bar-sur-Aube on 11 January 1825. He studied under François Rude and made his debut at Salon in 1848 at just 23 years old. His sculpture ranged from the historical to the allegorical and mythological while also capturing portraits of his contemporaries, popular public figures such as Jacques Offenbach and Charles Gounod. He earned medals in 1861, 1864 and 1869 before beingmade a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1874.
Measurements: 24 7/8" H x 7 7/8" D x 8 1/2" W
Condition Report:
Original patina. Light scratch just below her knee, very faint scratch to front bottom corner of left side, other specks of wear or abrasion. An exceedingly fine presentation.