Rare French Antique Bronze Sculpture by Henri Brun, perhaps Julia Domna

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Rare French Antique Bronze Sculpture by Henri Brun, perhaps Julia Domna

About the Item

HENRI BRUN French, 1816-1889 Probably a model of Roman Empress Julia Domna Pia Felix Augustus Sand-cast and patinated bronze signed "HENRI BRUN 1856" and inscribed "f. du par Vor. Thiebaut" ("made by Victor Thiebaut") cast circa 1860 Item # 311UQE19P An exquisite and very rare model of a mother in mourning by the French sculptor Henri Brun, it is one of the only models of his work that has been available on the open-market as far back as we have been able to research. The present cast is inscribed as being modeled in 1856 and cast under the direction of Victor Thiebaut at his foundry in Paris. Without prior documentation to work from, it is difficult to ascribe a title to the model with any certainty, but the likeness of the image to that of the Roman Empress Julia Domna (known as Julia Domna Pia Felix Augustus) and the fact that Henri Brun exhibited a model of Julia Pia at the Salon the following year in 1857 (no. 2758) is at least suggestive of being cast after that model. But we will not know for certain unless additional documentation comes to light in the future. The model is particularly moving, if indeed it is a picture of Julia Domna, as the story surrounding her life is tragic and complex. We can imagine the model depicts the Empress in the weeks and months following the assassination of her youngest son Geta by her eldest son, the tyrannical emperor Caracalla. Geta died in her arms, stabbed by centurions smuggled into her chambers for what was supposed to be a peace meeting between Geta and Caracalla. After his brutal murder, Geta's name was scrubbed from history, all coins bearing his name were destroyed as best as was possible, portraits mutilated and the very mention of his name was considered treasonous. When Marcus Aurelius' daughter Cornificia expressed sympathy for Julia's grief, poorly hidden as it were, she paid for it with her life. Caracalla condemned the fifty year old daughter of the great philosopher to a "dignified" death of her choice, thereby removing another possible contender for his throne. The young mother pulls her garment around her, the chaotic twists of cloth covering almost every inch of her body as she wraps her arms around herself, hugging the garment to her breast as she struggles to keep her shoulders upright. Her eyes are wide, looking into the distance and hiding whatever grief they feel behind a mask of stoic resolve. Exquisitely cast by the foundry of Victor Thiebaut and inscribed as such along the base, this model was sand-cast and likely retains the original lacquer patina with very fine finishing work throughout. The Thiebaut foundry had only begun taking on fine art commissions in the 1840s and Victor became the sole owner of the company in 1848. He operated it for the production of work on commission from artists and also as a contractor to other foundries, where Thiebaut would cast the models and allow the other foundries to do the finishing work. This model would have been cast around 1860 before being joined by his sons in the mid 1870s. HENRI BRUN Born in St-Jean-le-Vieux, France on January 1st of 1816, Henri Brun studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under David d'Angers and Rude starting on October 9th of 1839. He exhibited at the Paris Salons from 1853 through 1881, including models of Narcisse (1853), Julia Pia (1857), La nymphe Egérie (1859), Narcisse in plaster (1861), Psyché (1868), F.-A Veyne, médecin (1876), Edgar Quinet (1879), Louis Perrin (1881). He died in 1889. Artist Listings & Bibliography: * E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. II, Gründ, 2006, p. 1370 * Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de l'École Française, vol. 1, Stanislas Lami, 1914, p. 206 Measurements: 14 3/8" H x 7 7/8" D x 6" W Condition Report: Excellent condition throughout, cleaned and a very fine presentation. Originality of patina is unknown, though it does appear to be quite early and well-preserved. Hints of discoloration and color loss in crevices. About silla antiques & art Established in 2009, we have available in our 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery an ever-changing selection of carefully curated and catalogued furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and estate jewelry. Our company has long specialized in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of exceptional European and American sculpture available on display. The gallery is located at 117 W Burd Street in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and is open by appointment only. We welcome your visit and would love to meet with you at the shop. For clients located outside of the area, we are always available to discuss items by video conferencing or by phone.

Dimensions:
Height: 14.38 in (36.53 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 7.88 in (20.02 cm)
Style:
Romantic (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1860
Condition:
Excellent condition throughout, cleaned and a very fine presentation. Originality of patina is unknown, though it does appear to be quite early and well-preserved. Hints of discoloration and color loss in crevices.
Seller Location:
Shippensburg, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 311UQE19P1stDibs: LU1059037557252