Rare Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, by A. Carrier-Belleuse
$55,000.00
- Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (France, 1824-1887)
- A rare seated bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin holding his walking stick and hat, with a book in his right jacket pocket inscribed "Science"
- The base inscribed with the phrase "Eripuit Coelo fulmen scep trumque tyranis", attributed to French statesman Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, which translates to "He seized lightning from the skies and the scepter from tyrants".
- A true collectors piece.
- Signed on base "Carrier".
- Measures: 15.5" high x 8" wide x 8.5" deep
- Excellent condition. No damages noted. Ready to place.
- Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, a highly prolific 19th-century French sculptor, created this depiction of Benjamin Franklin. He employed a large staff in his workshop, including a young Auguste Rodin, who was his chief assistant in the late 1860s. In 1876, Carrier-Belleuse became artistic director at the Sèvres Porcelain Manufacture. This statuette is a free adaptation, in a new pose, of François Marie Suzanne's sculpted portrait of Franklin from 1793. Suzanne’s statue was frequently reproduced, with variations of costume and poses.
- A smaller version of this work is in the collection of the American Philosophical Society.
- Period: 19th Century
- Origin: France
- Movement & Style: Academic
- Depth: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
- Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Creator: Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (France, 1824-1887)
- Creation Year: C. 1870
- Medium: Bronze
