Vilhelm Bissen's circle, late 19th century

Circle of VILHELM BISSEN (Denmark, 1836-1913).
European school of the 19th century.
"The young reader".
Sculpture in carved marble.
Measurements: 77 x 20 x 30 cm.

"The young reader" has remarkable similarities with "The ceramic painter" by Vilhelm Bissen, sculpture preserved in the Nivaagaard Collection. In both sculptures, the young woman leans on a herma-like plinth and an amphora rests next to her bare feet. The attitude of the figure is the same: she is extremely concentrated in her activity. Likewise, stylistically, the combined influence of French naturalism and Greco-Roman tradition can be appreciated. The idealization of the features and the harmonious anatomy is rooted in a classicist approach, and yet the gesture and the individualization of the simple gestures compose a naturalistic portrait. This coexistence of classical and naturalistic models characterized the style of the Danish Vilhelm Bissen, exemplified especially in "The Ceramic Painter". The author of "The Young Reader" may have been a disciple of Bissen, or a carver from his circle or workshop.

As a sculptor, Vilhelm Bissen was mainly trained in the studio of his father, H.W. Bissen, and grew up in his father's studio. Bissen, and was raised in the Thorvaldsen tradition. Like Cranach and Breughel in the 15th and 16th centuries, the craft, subjects, and clientele were passed down from father to son. Although Bissen would draw inspiration from French naturalism and its trends in the late 19th century, in essence he remained true to his classicist roots. Bissen visited Italy in his youth, between 1857 and 1863, and made several extended stays in Rome. The Carrara quarries were important to Bissen, but so were his personal relationships with other artists he had met in Rome.