Lot 0005
Bronze Sculpture “The Gunsmith” by Adrien Gaudez (1845–1902)
Estimate: 3000-3500€
Adrien Gaudez (1845–1902)
L’Armurier (The Gunsmith)
France, late 19th – early 20th century
Bronze
Height: 65 cm
This striking bronze sculpture, L’Armurier (“The Gunsmith”), is a masterful example of Adrien Gaudez’s ability to infuse technical realism with expressive vitality. The figure of a craftsman at work embodies both physical strength and concentration, capturing the dignity of manual labor and the artistry of creation.
A graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Gaudez debuted at the Paris Salon in 1864 and continued to exhibit there throughout his career. Initially influenced by classical traditions, he later incorporated the fluid lines and naturalistic movement characteristic of late 19th-century French sculpture.
Following his imprisonment during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), Gaudez produced several commemorative works, including a monument to fallen French soldiers (1892). His oeuvre encompasses portraits, allegorical figures, and monuments distinguished by meticulous modeling and emotional depth.
L’Armurier reflects Gaudez’s fascination with the nobility of craftsmanship — a recurring theme in his work — and stands as a testament to the transition from academic classicism to the more dynamic and expressive forms of the Belle Époque.
Starting price: 2500€
Estimate: 3000-3500€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€
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Lot 0007
Huge Bronze St. George Slaying the Dragon Signed by the Artist “Emile Picault
Estimate: 6000-7000€
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Huge Bronze St. George Slaying the Dragon Signed by the Artist “Emile Picault
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France, late 19th century
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A leading figure of 19th-century French sculpture, Picault was renowned for his allegorical and patriotic subjects as well as mythological heroes. Trained in Paris, he began exhibiting at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in 1863 and went on to produce more than 500 models during his prolific career. His works often explored virtues such as courage, honor, and diligence, rendered with expressive energy and precise craftsmanship.
Examples of his work can be found in major French museums, including:
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Lot 0003
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Estimate: 300-450€A Russian gilt bronze paperweight. Circassian with a Pipe
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Lot 0006
Nikolai Liberich. A Russian bronze “Lying boar”
Estimate: 1200-1500€
Lot 0006
Nikolai Liberich. A Russian bronze “Lying boar”
Estimate: 1200-1500€Nikolai Liberich. Lying Boar paperweight.
Model circa 1866
Bronze, casting, chasing
Dimensions: 5.5 × 20.5 × 17.5 cm
St. Petersburg, 1870s–1880sThis finely detailed bronze sculpture depicts a wild boar lying on the ground, rendered with naturalistic accuracy and careful attention to the animal’s anatomy and textured fur.
Exhibitions: A comparable piece was exhibited at the State Russian Museum in Nikolai Liberich. Sculpture and Graphics from the Collections of A. G. Egorov and K. V. Zhuromsky (2011).
Publications: A comparable work was published in the book by A. Egorov and K. Zhuromsky Nikolai Liberich. Sculpture and Graphics (p. 220).Nikolai Ivanovich Liberich (1828–1883)
Born into a civil servant’s family, Liberich first served in the Life Guards Dragoon and Hussar Regiments, retiring with the rank of colonel. He later studied sculpture at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg under P. K. Klodt, and in 1861 he was awarded the title of Academician.Liberich became renowned for his numerous hunting, military, and genre scenes, as well as his highly naturalistic animal models. Many of his works were produced for leading bronze and silver manufacturers in St. Petersburg, including A. I. Sokolov, P. A. Ovchinnikov, and I. S. Sazikov. His sculptures were repeatedly shown at the exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts, as well as at major international expositions, including the World’s Fairs in London (1872), Paris (1878), and Antwerp (1885).
Starting price: 800€
Estimate: 1200-1500€
Hammer Price: 1300€