Early 19th Pair Of Neoclassical Sculptures In Gilded Cast Iron The Muse

Pair of Neoclassical sculptures in gilded cast iron depicting Melpomene, the muse of Tragedy, with the attribute of the sword, and Erato, the muse of love poetry, with the attribute of the lyre. France, work of the art foundries, first half of the 19th century.
Our sculptures are part of the first artistic production in cast iron, strongly linked to neoclassical models. Their construction is typical of the models of the first half of the 19th century: they are hollowed out inside and have screws and pins used in that period; they are also gilded, a rare feature.
Origin: historic residence in Tuscany. The sculptures were found with a wooden base covered in fabric, the customer can decide whether to buy them alone or with the base.

Measurements
H cm 63
W cm 21
D cm 19

A BIT OF HISTORY:
Artistic casting, born at the beginning of the 19th century, reached its peak at the end of the 19th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century, for reasons of cost, the quality of bronzes deteriorated. And the lost-wax technique, also difficult and expensive for large pieces, was joined by sand casting. The 19th century thus became the century of iron: the blast furnaces increased in capacity while the master ironworkers worked to improve the quality of the products: cast iron, soft iron and steel. It was not until the end of the 1820s that we saw the first production of ornamental cast iron: Christophe François Calla's research focused on techniques to facilitate the casting of cast iron (to recover the quality attributed to bronze) and on the advice of his friend Hittorff, an innovative architect, he made his first ornamental casts. The cast iron street furniture, symbol of the union between Art and Industry, the kiosks and ornaments of the Metro, the Wallace fountains, the Morris columns, the Vespasiennes, are examples of a production that will revolutionize urban planning and export a French art of living throughout the world.

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