Statuette, Molière - 35 cm - Spelter

sculpture "Molière" from France, early 20th century

The sculpture of Molière was created by a French artist at the beginning of the 20th century in a copper-zinc alloy and is covered with a patina of time, a rich dark color with a reddish undertone. Stylistically, the sculpture belongs to the Baroque aesthetic, the dominant style in France during the playwright's lifetime.
Molière (1622-1673) was a great French playwright and the founder of classical comedy, who managed to elevate it to the level of tragedy, whereas previously it was considered a lesser genre. Molière’s comedies dig into the fabric of daily life, reflecting urgent issues from the perspective of high humanist ideals and satirizing the vices of society.
The sculpture is imbued with dynamism thanks to the three-quarter rotation of the bust. Molière sits on a high stool, resting his right foot on a footstool and turning his shoulder backward. He is dressed in 17th-century male attire: a shirt with ruffles at the cuffs and lace collar, a mantle, stockings, and buckle shoes, with a buttoned waistcoat beneath a justacorps with tails. The mantle is cast carelessly over a stool. The artist has given the portrait a sculptural likeness.
Visible signs of time in the photo.
circa 4.4 kg total weight.

"The alloy the metal has not been well identified".