catalog text
"BUST OF DAPHNIS" AFTER MODEL BY ETIENNE HENRI DUMAIGE (FRENCH, 1830-1888)
Circa 1870-80; signed H. Dumaige on edge of base; greenish-brown patinated bronze
Item # 705IQW14P
This powerful example of Romantic realism depicts the Greek mythological figure of Daphnis as a young musician wrapped in an animal skin garment with a woodwind syrinx tucked in the knotting. Born the son of Hermes, he was found under a laurel tree by shepherds who raised him. The crisp chiseling leaves the surface sharp and pristine, the skin finished with perfect translucent smoothness. It is finished in a complex artisanal patination with a medium-brown surface with green hues and hints of black in the crevices. The integral socle is titled in relief DAPHNIS and is signed along the proper left edge H. DUMAIGE.
Notes:
- See Freeman's Auction, Philadelphia, March 20 2004, Lot 519 for similar example; achieved $ 4700 USD [17 1/2" H, in gilt and patinated surface]
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. IV, Gründ, 2006, p. 1313-14
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century, P. Kjellberg, 1994, p. 302
Measurements: 17 1/2” H x 10 1/2” W x 6” D
Condition Report:
Original patina with light wear to relief and minor trace verdigris oxidization. Overall excellent condition.