Young Woman In The Dormant Antique, Aj Peiffer.

Inspired by antiquity, this bronze is signed by the French artist Auguste Joseph Peiffer (1832-1886), it is a 19th century cast of very good quality as evidenced by the chiseling work and the patina. Peiffer is an artist accustomed to this kind of subject, "mythological and allegorical subjects, presented in the form of graceful female figurines, characterize the work of this student of Klagmann" source: "19th century bronzes" Pierre Kjellberg "les éditions de l'amateur". The artist presents us with a young woman sitting on an Etruscan armchair, legs crossed, head bowed, she is sleeping, her hair perfectly styled, she is adorned with jewelry and is dressed in a dress with admirable folds with Greek frieze braid, her feet are shod with finely detailed sandals. Busy weaving, she has just fallen asleep, she still holds a distaff in her left hand ready to fall, another distaff is placed on the ground. Sleep is synonymous with idleness, an allusion to the allegorical figure of Acédia, laziness, personified from the end of the 16th century by "a woman asleep near her distaff" this subject will be taken up again in the 19th century notably by Gustave Courbet in 1853 in his painting "the sleeping spinner", this in this continuity of Peiffer realizes this subject by associating the image of antiquity which brings back to the goddess Clotho, youngest of the 3 moires, is the one who weaves the thread of life, it is to her that returns the choice of the date of birth of each one, Clotho is represented holding a distaff and spins the thread of life, the distaff symbolizes the beginning of life. This work whose gaze is attracted by the magnificent work of the dress with multiple folds is put highlighted on a thick base of old sea green marble, molded with a large corbin beak, this base is independent of the sculpture, the latter being just placed on it. Overall in perfect condition. Dimensions of sculpture alone: Width: 33 cm Depth: 16 cm Height: 23 cm Dimensions of the marble: Thickness: 4 cm Width: 45 cm Depth: 24 cm