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拍品专文
With its striking pose, startling realism and meticulously pronounced details, ‘Victoire au péplum’ perfectly evokes the official academic style of late 19th century France. Jean-Léon Gérôme was one of the foremost artists working in this manner, and created numerous celebrated historical and allegorical paintings and sculptures. This neo-Grecian and neo-Pompeian work was informed by sojourns in Italy, Turkey and Egypt, and fueled by his relentless desire to rival the exacting precision of another emerging media of the era: photography. The ancient iconography, finely treated draperies and strong classical features of ‘Victoire au péplum’ make it a rare, but quintessential, aspect of Gérôme’s œuvre.
Beginning with the ancient Greek artistic tradition, the allegory of Victory has traditionally been represented as a winged female figure. With her classical peplos gown and sandals, the present figure reflects this precedent. While Gérôme frequently created paintings and, later, sculptures representing allegories, he seems to have treated Victory only rarely. In a design commissioned by the French state in 1853 for a frieze on a grand vase ultimately presented by Napoleon III to Prince Albert, Gérôme created a grand multi-figural composition including a winged female emblematic of Victory (illustrated G. Ackerman, La vie et l’œuvre de JEAN-LÉON GÉRÔME, Paris, 1986, p. 192-193, no. 43.) In a preparatory work for the above design, Gérôme further elaborated on his allegory of Victory, which anticipates the present lot with its stoic, classical pose, carefully articulated linear wings and finely rendered drapery (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 194, no. 43B). In addition to 'Victoire au péplum,’ Gérôme created one additional sculpture of the allegory, 'Victoire marchant,’ circa 1899, differentiated from the present lot by its active pose (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 324-325, no. S. 50).
‘Victoire au péplum’ was first executed in 1897, towards the end of Gérôme’s career, and was shown in the Salon in Paris in 1899 (no. 3516). Though little seems to be recorded about the figure or its exhibition, the allegory appears to reprise the facial features of a specific model or muse Gérôme depicted with some frequency. Based on their strong resemblance, it is possible that the present bronze was inspired by the celebrated actress, Rachel (née Elisa Félix 1821-1858), of the Comédie Française. Gérôme showed a posthumous portrait of the actress at the Salon of 1861, which is now in the collections of the Comédie Française. The model for the present bronze could also be the same as that depicted in the sculpture 'La Joueuse de boules’ which was shown in the Salon of 1902 (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 326-327, no. S. 57).
The Siot foundry catalogue of circa 1910 lists 'Victory' in three sizes: 90 (or 97) cm. (priced at 5500 fr.), 50 or 45 cm. (1500 fr. sur socle) and 23 cm. (600 fr.). The latter two sizes were cast in greater number by the Siot foundry from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries with brown and/or gilt-bronze patina. However examples of the present, largest, 97 cm. size are very rare. In his catalogue raisonné on Gérôme, Ackerman notes only one in the collection of Stuart Pivar, New York (G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 324-325, no. S. 49). Another 90 cm. high example is in the collection of the Lightner Museum, St. Augustine, Florida. The present bronze represents an important addition to the sculptor’s œuvre; an ambitious and unique artistic flourishing in the striking French academic style that Gérôme mastered.
Beginning with the ancient Greek artistic tradition, the allegory of Victory has traditionally been represented as a winged female figure. With her classical peplos gown and sandals, the present figure reflects this precedent. While Gérôme frequently created paintings and, later, sculptures representing allegories, he seems to have treated Victory only rarely. In a design commissioned by the French state in 1853 for a frieze on a grand vase ultimately presented by Napoleon III to Prince Albert, Gérôme created a grand multi-figural composition including a winged female emblematic of Victory (illustrated G. Ackerman, La vie et l’œuvre de JEAN-LÉON GÉRÔME, Paris, 1986, p. 192-193, no. 43.) In a preparatory work for the above design, Gérôme further elaborated on his allegory of Victory, which anticipates the present lot with its stoic, classical pose, carefully articulated linear wings and finely rendered drapery (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 194, no. 43B). In addition to 'Victoire au péplum,’ Gérôme created one additional sculpture of the allegory, 'Victoire marchant,’ circa 1899, differentiated from the present lot by its active pose (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 324-325, no. S. 50).
‘Victoire au péplum’ was first executed in 1897, towards the end of Gérôme’s career, and was shown in the Salon in Paris in 1899 (no. 3516). Though little seems to be recorded about the figure or its exhibition, the allegory appears to reprise the facial features of a specific model or muse Gérôme depicted with some frequency. Based on their strong resemblance, it is possible that the present bronze was inspired by the celebrated actress, Rachel (née Elisa Félix 1821-1858), of the Comédie Française. Gérôme showed a posthumous portrait of the actress at the Salon of 1861, which is now in the collections of the Comédie Française. The model for the present bronze could also be the same as that depicted in the sculpture 'La Joueuse de boules’ which was shown in the Salon of 1902 (illustrated G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 326-327, no. S. 57).
The Siot foundry catalogue of circa 1910 lists 'Victory' in three sizes: 90 (or 97) cm. (priced at 5500 fr.), 50 or 45 cm. (1500 fr. sur socle) and 23 cm. (600 fr.). The latter two sizes were cast in greater number by the Siot foundry from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries with brown and/or gilt-bronze patina. However examples of the present, largest, 97 cm. size are very rare. In his catalogue raisonné on Gérôme, Ackerman notes only one in the collection of Stuart Pivar, New York (G. Ackerman, op. cit., p. 324-325, no. S. 49). Another 90 cm. high example is in the collection of the Lightner Museum, St. Augustine, Florida. The present bronze represents an important addition to the sculptor’s œuvre; an ambitious and unique artistic flourishing in the striking French academic style that Gérôme mastered.