Atlantean. France, Napoleon III, third quarter of the 19th century.

Atlantean. France, Napoleon III, third quarter of the 19th century.
Clock element or cabinet reused.
Gilded bronze.
Ebonized wood base with marble plaques.
It 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 piece, of meticulous workmanship and clear eclectic imprint, corresponds to the Napoleon III period, when French taste embraced opulence inspired by classicism, orientalizing exoticism and decorative historicism. 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.