catalog text
EUGENE AIZELIN
French, 1821-1902
Bust of a Young Woman (1864)
Patinated bronze raised on an original turned rouge marble base over brass rim | signed on shoulder "Eug. Aizelin 1864", sealed verso with A. Collas cachet, engraved "F. Barbedienne Fondeur | Paris, France, cast circa 1880-1900
Item # 404FWN23Z
An exquisitely cast and finished Bust of a Young Woman after the model by Eugene Aizelin and cast by the Ferdinand Barbedienne foundry, the present example features the rather rare and positively stunning turned rouge marble socle over a brass rim. The model is finished in a translucent dark brown patina that is finely preserved. A serene and most pleasant example.
Born in Paris, July 10th of 1821, Eugene Aizelin was a student of Etienne-Jules Ramey and Augustin-Alexandre Dumont at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris in 1844. Starting with his first successful debut in 1852, he pursued a fruitful and long fifty year career until his death in Paris, 1902. He is generally recognized for his contributions to biblical and mythological subjects, as well as operatic and genre scenes, actively producing many very successful works most commonly with the Ferdinand Barbedienne foundry. He received numerous commissions from the State and from the City of Paris for the decoration of public buildings, working on the three great Parisian building projects of the Second Empire (1851-70), the new Louvre, the Opera and the Hotel de Ville, as well as on theatres, the Parisian churches of the Trinity and Saint-Roch and other institutions. His works are documented in most major books on bronzes of the period, many of his pieces held today in museum collections, particularly in France.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 37-38
- Dictionaire des Sculpteurs de L’Ecole Française, vol. I, 1914, Stanislas Lami, p. 6-10
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. I, Gründ, 2006, p. 195
Measurements: 11 3/8" H (without base), 13" H total; 6 1/4" W x 4" D
Condition Report:
Exquisite original condition; very minor handling wear to patina. Carefully cleaned and sealed in conservator's wax. A very fine presentation.