catalog text
FELIX MAURICE CHARPENTIER
French, 1858-1924
An Allegory of Victory
Sand-cast and nearly black patinated bronze | signed in base "Felix Charpentier" | cast circa 1920
Item # 308PJW13D
This powerful and substantial cast of Charpentier's Allegory of Victory stands at just over 38" in total height and depicts the embrace of nature and a celebration of youth. Charpentier captures the young maiden in a contrapasto twist, her body indecisive as she moves forward but turns to look behind her. A diaphonous garment furls in the billowing wind around her waist and midriff while she raises an olive branch overhead.
The composition is familiar, one that was academically employed ad infinitum in celebration of the hero: the rallying cry of bravery in battle, a fierce warrior running forward with his rifle raised overhead, turning to urge his comrades on into the thick of the peril - but the sentiment is entirely reinterpreted and perhaps even mocked by Charpentier. With this gentle creature, he shows the strongest of warriors being found in this pensive, inexperienced youth, totally naked and vulnerable with a gentle expression enveloping her. She raises not a weapon of war, but a branch of peace. She alludes to a strength found in vulnerability - in beauty - in peace.
A relatively scarce model, a 38" example of this was offered in Berlin at Historia Auctionata on April 2nd of 2020 (lot 3373) where it achieved 5,000 EUR + premium (a conversion to approximately $ 7200 USD inclusive of premium at the time of sale).
The present example was executed using the sand-casting method circa 1920, the various elements beautifully joined together with fine chiseling and chasing to a very high-grade throughout. The surface is finished in a nearly black chemical patination with red, brown and bronze undertones that glows under the wax finish.
FELIX MAURICE CHARPENTIER
Born in Bollène, France in 1858, Felix Maurice Charpentier moved to Paris, studying under Pierre-Jules Cavelier at the École des Beaux-Arts. He began exhibiting at Salon in 1882 with allegorical works, but it wasn’t until 1887 that his works gained any real recognition; “L’Improvisateur” won him the second-class medal at the Salon and was subsequently acquired by the Musée Du Luxembourg. He exhibited extensively, winning first and second class medals, eventually being decorated with the title of Officier of the Legión d’Honneur.
An avid sculptor of the Art Nouveau spirit, a great sense of force, power and expression characterize his works of art, much of his work seeking to understand and communicate the curiosity of nature that so permeated the period. His monumental works are perhaps his most recognizable contributions, L’Art Contemporain at the Grand Palais and two reliefs “La Navigation” and “Le Vapeur” decorating the facade of the Gare de Lyon. Charpentier died in Paris in December of 1924.
Measurements: 38 3/8" H x 9" D x 15 1/2" W
Condition Report:
Carefully cleaned and restored: at one point the sculpture was converted to a lamp, but we have since removed the wiring and healed the openings; two holes to the reverse of the base where wiring came through and two holes in the flowers and foliage of the branch in her hands were plugged and patinated in our restoration studio; there remains some kind of soft material together with a subtle mis-shaping of a spot of foliage in the branch from when the initial conversion took place, though without careful examination this is not immediately evident. Trace patina wear and loss - this is natural wear to the original patina and part of the surface history: her upraised wrist with some rubbing through black to bronze undertones, her ankles, a spot of verdigris to the underside of her arm, other spots of light wear. Surface has been sealed in conservator's grade wax. A fine presentation.