CHARLES RAOUL VERLET
French, 1857-1923

"The Sorrow of Orpheus" (1887)

Sand-cast and patinated bronze
Conceived 1887, cast circa 1890
Signed in the cast "Raoul Verlet", engraved along the base "F. Barbedienne, Fondeur" and bearing the mechanical reduction seal of A. Collas

24 1/2" H x 7" D x 9 1/4" W

The original monumental plaster of La Douleur d'Orphée was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1887 where it received considerable recognition. A monumental bronze cast by Barbedienne was erected in the Place Malesherbes in Paris in 1891, subsequently destroyed in 1942. The original plaster is preserved in the collection of the Petit Palais, Paris, while a Barbedienne bronze reduction is held by the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angoulême.

The sculpture depicts Orpheus emerging from the Underworld after losing his beloved Eurydice, his arms raised in anguish. At his feet rests his lyre beside Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the Underworld, whom Orpheus had subdued through the power of his music.

Condition: Minor rubbing and scattered losses to the original patina, including scratches to the upraised hand, drapery and proper right shoulder. Carefully cleaned and sealed with conservator's wax. Ready to place.

ref. C104903