Bust Of Sappho By James Pradier

Rare plaster bust representing the ancient Greek poetess Sappho by the sculptor of Swiss origin Jean-Jacques Pradier aka James Pradier (1790 - 1852).
This bust is taken from the figure "Sappho seated", the last work of the sculptor before his death. The marble is presented at the salon of 1852 covered with a black crepe to pay homage to the deceased sculptor. It is now at the Musée d'Orsay.
Our bust is characteristic of the neoclassical movement in vogue at the beginning of the 19th century, the artist taking as subject themes from mythology and ancient stories. But Pradier lets show in his portrait a very romantic melancholy. Head down, the poet, victim of a loving refusal, dreams of suicide.
Pradier's works have enjoyed great publishing success, in particular the Sappho Assisi which we find mounted in a pendulum, sitting on a rock or on a stool, etc ... but we know of this head only very rare copies of which a bronze recently offered on the market by Quirinal / Coutau-Bégarie and a plaster from the sale of the Pradier workshop in 1855 presented to the André Lemaire gallery in 1987.
The catalog raisonné of the work of James Pradier by Claude Lapaire lists also a variant of this marble head (h: 24 cm) in the collection of the Pradier family, a silvered and partially gilded bronze (h: 50 cm), a plaster (h: 50 cm) offered by the Elstir gallery in 1987 - perhaps our copy - and a marble (h: 40 cm) sold to Drouot in 2000.
Our model is an old plaster which has kept its “hollow” mold seams. Since the seams have not been erased, it may be a workshop plaster or an unsold edition plaster. It has marks and dirt. Small lack on the nose.
Related: Catalog raisonné of the work of James Pradier by Claude Lapaire, Ed. 5 Continents / SIK ISEA, pages 395 / 396. “Selected works” sale of October 9, 2020 - Coutau-Bégarie & Associé / Quirinal, Conseil en Art .