catalog text
BRONZE FIGURE OF “REMBRANDT” AFTER MODEL BY ALBERT CARRIER-BELLEUSE
Circa last quarter of 19th century, in patinated bronze, signed "Carrier Scpt."
Item # 610XPD04Q
A very fine cabinet bronze sculpture depicting the seated figure of Rembrandt, it is inordinately well detailed in light of the small profile. The facial features are perfectly represented with a crisp nose and a firm brow over finely chiseled eyebrows. His garment is complex and the furling folds of his cape are beautifully executed. He carriers his artist portfolio under arm, the outside signed Rembrandt. It is finished in an original black patina with hints of green and red undertones as well as traces of verdigris under wax.
ALBERT ERNEST CARRIER-BELLEUSE:
Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse apprenticed as an engraver at age thirteen beside the goldsmith Fauconnier in Paris, later being accepted into the Ecole des Beaux-Arts based on the endorsement of David d'Angers in 1840. His training became evident in his later work with bronzes, the minute and exceptional attention to small details required as a goldsmith eventually would give depth and life to his romantic sculptures. Exhibiting a keen interest in porcelain, he was eventually named the director of Works of Art at the Sevres porcelain factory in Paris in 1875, many of his works being then interpreted into painted scenes manufactured by the firm. Some of the most treasured works by Carrier-Belleuse is the extensive quantity of busts he produced, these capturing famous and less-than-famous artists, poets, musicians, writers, politicians, financiers and merchants of the time. Nicknamed the "Clodion of the 19th Century" both by his contemporaries and by Napoleon III, his romantic treasures were highly regarded and resulted in him being commissioned for many public monuments during the Second Empire. His work is prominently listed and catalogued in most major works on bronze sculptors of the period.
Literature:
- Art Bronzes, Forrest, p. 472 (biography), also extensive photography of Carrier works
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Kjellberg, p. 189-92
- Bronzes: Sculptors and Founders, vol. II, Berman, p. 371 (featuring "Rembrandt" in 8.5" c. 1870 and in 18" high c. 1870, as well as a full figure of Rembrandt executed by Carrier-Belleuse)
Condition Report:
Original patina with light handling wear to raised relief. Dust and traces of verdigris oxidization in crevices. Base edge with a light dent.