Auguste Puttemans

AUGUSTE PUTTEMANS (Brussels, 1866- Ixelles, 1922).
"The Victory".
Patinated bronze, Patricia Green marble pedestal.
Signed on the base.
Stamp of the foundry Batardy Cire Perdue Bruxelles.
Measurements: 46,5 x 31 x 29 cm; 63,5 cm (total height).

Bronze sculpture with marble base of the Greek goddess Nike or Victory made by the prolific sculptor Auguste Puttemans. The piece stands out for the elegance and boldness of the pose, the precise modeling of the anatomical details and draping, and the perfect casting of the bronze. In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. She was often depicted as a small winged sculpture in the hand of a more important god, such as Zeus or Athena. She presided over athletic and military competitions. Originally she was considered an independent goddess, however after the battle of Salamis (480 BC) she was often associated with and believed to be identical to Athena, Niké being her nickname meaning "victorious". Hesiod made her the daughter of the titan Pallas and Styx, being then sister of Bia (Violence), Zeal (Fervor) and Cratos (Strength). Her temple in the Acropolis of Athens stands out. She is usually depicted with wings and carrying a palm or a laurel wreath.

Auguste Puttemans was a Belgian sculptor who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels with Charles Van der Stappen and is especially known for public works such as the statue of Isis, goddess of Life, given to Herbert Hoover and located in front of his birthplace in Iowa, and the bronze statues dedicated to Francisco Ferrer y Guardia in Brussels and Barcelona, in addition to multiple busts and sculptures exhibited in museums and public spaces, and he is also recognized for his membership in Freemasonry, which influenced some of his artistic commissions. In 1922 a retrospective exhibition of his works was organized at the Cercle Artistique et Littéraire de Bruxelles.