Cup On Pedestal In Gilt Bronze

Cup on a gilt bronze pedestal made in the second half of the 19th century, the center is adorned with a mythological scene in bas-relief signed F. Levillain representing Argus, Io and Mercury, an episode from Ovid's "Metamorphoses". On Jupiter's order, Mercury comes to sleep the shepherd Argus to the sound of his flute, in order to deliver Io, Jupiter's lover, transformed into a white heifer and placed by Juno under the guard of the shepherd. The handles are decorated with the faces of bearded men. The cut is marked on the outer side of the foundry mark “F. Barbedienne ”.

Ferdinand Levillain (1837 - 1905) is an important French sculptor and medalist. A pupil of the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), he made his debut in 1861 at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited until 1903. He also participated in the Universal Exhibitions, in particular that of 1867 in Paris where he stood out with a neo-Greek bronze cup made for the Blot et Drouard house. But it is that of 1878, which allows him to know the fame by winning unanimously a gold medal. From 1871, he joined forces with the founder Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810 - 1892) at the head of one of the most important 19th century art foundry which, in addition to his works, widely disseminated those of F. Levillain. as well as those of other sculptors such as Clésinger (1814-1883), Carrier-Belleuse (1824 - 1887) or even Guillemin (1841 - 1907).