French School of the Second Empire, second half of the 19th century.

French school of the Second Empire, second half of the 19th century.
Bronze gilded with fine gold.
Signed.
Stamp Cie Anonyme des Bronzes Bruxelles.
Measurements: 51 x 26 x 15 cm (without stand); 53 x 27 x 15 cm (with stand).

This neoclassical figure represents a young robed woman of delicate idealized beauty, leaning with delicate attitude on a column decorated with classical motifs, while holding a tablet or letter in her hands. The composition, of refined balance and marked Greco-Roman inspiration, is enriched with various symbolic elements placed at her feet, including a theatrical mask, a dove and an ornate vase, alluding respectively to the arts, purity and classical culture. The richness of the folds of the robe, the meticulous treatment of the details and the gilded finish give the work a solemn and decorative character, typical of the neoclassical and academic taste of the 19th century.

The Compagnie Anonyme des Bronzes de Bruxelles was an important Belgian foundry and artistic manufacture founded in Brussels in 1862, specialized in the production of sculptures, decorative objects and high quality bronze reproductions. During the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it became one of the most prestigious houses in Europe, collaborating with prominent sculptors and disseminating models inspired by both academicism and historicist and Art Nouveau tastes.