catalog text
DENIS FOYATIER
French, 1793-1863
"Spartacus brisant ses chaînes" (1827)
Verde patinated bronze over marble base on bronze rim | foundry mark to right side of post "feuchére" | posthumously cast circa 1890
Item # 310ZUP02S
The most widely cherished sculpture Denis Foyatier completed, the powerful statue depicts the slave Spartacus with his arms folded in contemplation, intense resolve spelled clearly on his face as he has just shattered his chains and has armed himself for resistance.
An exceedingly good cast, the present example is an imposing presentation measuring just under 35" in total height. The casting quality is above reproach with intricate hammering executed throughout his hair, flawless execution of the skin and finished with exquisite chiseling of details throughout his face, fingernails, toes and sword. The surface is particularly compelling, an overall verde patination over a medium brown base with hints of black. The right side of the column behind Spartacus is signed with the foundry mark of Jean-Jacques Feuchere and the entire piece is raised on its original marble base over a bronze rim. It was posthumously cast circa 1890.
For a similar example at auction, see the smaller 23.6" model offered at Bonham's, Edinburgh, 19 March 2010, lot 585, achieved 4560 GBP (approx. $ 6,954 USD at time of sale).
After first training under Chinard at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyons, Foyatier moved to Paris following the death of his teacher to continue his training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he enrolled in 1817. Only two years later made his debut at Salon in 1819 with several busts and figures where his exhibition of Young Faun Composing Music (Jeune Faune composant de la musique, no. 1306) won him a gold medal and a commission to complete the statue of St. Mark for the Arras cathedral. This was a remarkable accomplishment for the very first showing at Salon and the young sculptor left for Italy in 1822.
It was while he was studying in Rome that he first conceived the idea for what would become his most famous statue, Spartacus Breaking His Chains.
He initially exhibited this model in plaster at the Paris Salon of 1827 (no. 1125). An immediately successful work, Foyatier was commissioned with a Royal Command by the Minister of the Maison du Roi the following year on November 18th of 1828 to produce a statue in marble for 10,000 francs for placement in the Tuileries Garden and he exhibited this finished example in 1830. That statue was then placed in the Louvre Museum. A plaster copy was acquired for the Museum of Bar-le-Duc. Foyatier exhibited the sculpture again, this time cast in bronze for the Exposition Universelle of 1855 (no. 4383).
The clamor of interest around the model allowed Foyatier to secure contracts with Parisian art foundries to have the model produced in smaller dimensions for the collector market - those early casts are usually in the 15 1/2" height. The foundry of Jean-Jacques Feuchére cast a version of this sculpture for Foyatier, adding a garment around his waist to make the composition it more marketable.
The example is aptly descibed in the publication Le nu masculin dans la collection Martin du Louvre, which describes the model and its context beautifully. Spartacus, once a prince of Thrace, reduced to Roman bondage, was forced into the ignoble role of a gladiator. Breaking free from captivity, he marshaled a band of rebels, instilling dread up to the gates of Rome itself. The prince is captured in sculpture at the very moment he shatters his bonds." Plutarch narrates Spartacus’s tale in Lives, drawing comparisons between eminent Greeks and Romans. The robustness of the sculpture's expression cemented its instant acclaim.
To some, it rejuvenated Classical sculpture, adhering as it did to the rigid academic rules: a nude Spartacus, as heroes of antiquity were customarily depicted during the Romantic Era. Its grand scale meets the demands of era, aiming for a proportionate relationship between the statue's size and its emotional resonance with spectators. Foyatier’s creation draws clear inspiration from Canova’s works, notably his Demoxanos in the Vatican Museum, reflecting its stance and similar intense mental and corporeal focus. Yet, the depicted protagonist's suppressed rage is an attribute more closely aligned with Romantic themes.
The colossal acclaim garnered by Spartacus stemmed not just from its artistic merit but also from its rare and poignant theme. The subject of Spartacus is rarely depicted and even rarer still is the exquisite representation found in Foyatier's conception. It was interpreted by some as a critique of the reign of Charles X, even though this interpretation diverged from the artist’s original concept. Crafted within the tranquil and favorable confines of the Villa Medicis in Rome from 1822 to 1825, Foyatier maintained positive, official relations. His unveiling of the sculpture at the 1827 Salon led to a royal commission for a marble version. By its completion, however, the July Revolution of 1830 had toppled Charles X’s regime. Capitalizing on the moment, Foyatier altered Spartacus’s inscription, amending the date from 1827 to July 29, 1830, thus aligning the final day of revolt with the historical challenge Spartacus posed to Roman dominance. This clever adjustment not only refreshed the contemporary relevance of his work but also enshrined it as a symbol of Republican values.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de L'École Française, Vol. II, Stanislas Lami, 1916, p. 391-396
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. V, Gründ, 2006, p. 953-954
Measurements: 34 1/2" H (total) x 32 3/8" H (bronze) x 13" W x 13" D
Condition Report:
Retaining all original elements. Slight backward bend to the sword. Wear to the patina on his back (notably his right shoulder blade), the sword, his outer forearm, trace wear around edges of the base, scuff to his left thigh, other minor relieving of the green to the lower levels of patina; a brilliant presentation, carefully cleaned, sealed in wax and polished.