Bust In Alabaster And Gilt Bronze “joan Of Arc” (early 20th Century) Gustave Van Vaerenbergh

- THE WORK: The alabaster and gilded bronze bust of Joan of Arc by Gustave Van Vaerenbergh is a precise and delicate representation of the historical figure. The sculpture captures the nobility and determination of Joan of Arc with a focused downward gaze. The fine details of the suggested armor enhance his aura of courage. Facial textures and expressions are finely carved in alabaster, while gilded bronze adds warmth and radiance. This bust sensitively embodies the heroic spirit of Joan of Arc, in an artistic blend of alabaster and gilded bronze. - BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST: Gustave Van Vaerenbergh, a Belgian artist, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent from 1888 to 1890. Coming from a modest background, son of a shoemaker, he expressed his art in businesses for commercial purposes. Settling in Schaerbeek in 1902, he became a sculptor at A. Carli Frères, specializing in commercial statues. Van Vaerenbergh is known for his busts of young women, statues of children, animals and his ivory chryselephantines, representing the Art Nouveau style. - THE FOUNDER. The company A. Carli Frères, founded in the early 1900s in Schaerbeek, Belgium, by Antonio Carli, produced and published statuettes and sculptures in plaster, terracotta, marble and bronze. It employed around 20 people at the start and up to around 100 employees at its peak, specializing in particular in religious and decorative sculptures. The works were reproduced in series with serial numbers indicated, testifying to prolific commercial activity. The varied sculptures, including those by renowned artists like Gustave Van Vaerenbergh, often had subtle variations in their reproduction, demonstrating the important commercial aspect of the enterprise.