catalog text
EUTROPE BOURET (FRENCH, 1833-1906) BRONZE SCULPTURE, "MERCURE"
Depicting a Seated Mercury on Rocky Base, Spinning over Rouge Marble Base
Item # 502NLR22Q
A large and striking sculpture in patinated bronze, this figure by Eutrope Bouret captures a seated Mercury on a rocky outcropping as he examines his winged ankles. This model, titled Mercure, was presented to the Salon in 1883 as a plaster sculpture. With a warm red and brown patina, the original acid finish with some scattered wear, the surface is deep and beautiful against the smooth and perfect casting of the sculpture. The cast is finished to the highest quality with nearly perfect filed and chased surfaces and details.
The cast is raised over a rouge marble base, this with extensive chipping and old repairs; the center of the marble base has the original cast iron pin stamped CV Deposee 24, corresponding to the brass receiver affixed to the underside of the sculpture with a stamped "24" around the pin well. This arrangement allows the sculpture to easily and freely spin and be viewed with ease from any angle.
Literature and Reference:
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 136-7
- Art Bronzes, Michael Forest, p. 471
- Bronzes: Sculptors and Founders 1800-1930, Berman; extensive collection of sculptures represented, Mercure not included
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Gründ, Vol. II, p. 1025
- Leslie Hindman, 15 July 2014, Lot 842, Mercure, 34.25", achieved $6,930 (including buyer's premium)
Measurements: 25 3/4" total height; 22 3/4" figure height; approximately 12 1/2" W x 11 1/2" total depth
Condition Report:
Marble base with extensive chipping, loss and repair around all edges. Still certainly functional. Sculpture with patina wear to thigh and shin of left leg, outer fingers of both hands, left shoulder, right arm and scattered along back - other minor patina wear. A very fine overall presentation.