Emanuel Villanis

EMMANUEL VILLANIS (France, 1858 - 1914).
"L'Otage".
Patinated bronze.
Later mounted as a Tiffany style lamp with polychrome leaded glass.
Sculpture signed on the base.
Presents a break in the glass.
Measurements: 59 x 36 x 16 cm.

The sculpture represents a female figure of stylized canon and elegant sensuality, a characteristic feature of the repertoire of Villanis. The young woman appears in a restrained attitude, with her body slightly bent and wrapped in flowing drapery that accentuates the verticality and decorative refinement. The soft modeling of the torso, the delicacy of the face and the stylization of the whole fully respond to the feminine ideal of French Art Nouveau, of which the sculptor was one of the most widespread exponents in the field of decorative sculpture at the end of the century.

The configuration as a lamp corresponds to a later assembly, incorporating a hemispherical lampshade of polychrome leaded glass, floral inspiration and pastel chromatism, which aesthetically dialogues with the modernist taste.

The contrast between the dark patina of the bronze and the chromatic vibration of the glass enhances the ornamental character of the whole, integrating sculpture and lighting function in a decorative piece of great presence.