Atlantean. France, 18th century

Atlante. France, XVIII century.
Clock element or cabinet reused.
Gilded bronze.
Ebonized wood base with marble plaques.
Presents losses of gilding.
Measurements: 26 x 12 x 12 x 9 cm; 13.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 cm.

This gilded bronze sculpture represents an Atlantean, a mythological figure traditionally associated with the titanic effort to sustain the firmament, and whose iconography was adapted in the 19th century as a structural and ornamental element in furniture and luxury watches. The character is represented with remarkable expressive force: a man of robust complexion, with a thick beard and a concentrated gesture, leaning his head forward, frowning. Behind his back he holds a cushion adorned with pompoms at the corners, alluding to the symbolic weight of the watch or object that he would have originally crowned. The figure is wearing a turban, which adds an orientalizing nuance. His bare torso and legs exalt the virile anatomy, while a fringed cloth covers the area from the waist to mid-leg. The piece stands on an ebonized wooden base, decorated with turned columns and inserted marble plaques.