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“Boreas Abducting Orithyia” and “The Rape of Proserpine”

Name: “Boreas Abducting Orithyia” and “The Rape of Proserpine”
Brand: Gaspard Marsy & François Girardon
SKU: boree-enlevant-orithye-l-enlevement-de-proserpine
Price: 62000 EUR
Availability: InStock

After Gaspard Marsy & François Girardon

France, Circa 1870

A pair of patinated bronze sculptural groups, executed in France circa 1870 after two masterpieces of Versailles sculpture from the reign of Louis XIV. Each rests on a tall, white-painted moulded wooden socle. The first reproduces “Boreas Abducting Orithyia”, sculpted in marble by Gaspard Marsy and completed by Anselme Flamen. Recognizable by his vast outstretched wings, the god of the north wind carries off the young Orithyia, whose body arches backward with arms raised in terror. Boreas’s muscular power contrasts with the suppleness of the female form, while a secondary figure at the base supports the composition. The second is inspired by François Girardon’s “The Rape of Proserpine”. Pluto, god of the Underworld, hoists the struggling Proserpine as she reaches her arms towards the sky. At his feet, a kneeling companion seen from behind attempts to hold her back—an invitation to view the group in the round to fully appreciate its dynamic movement. Distinguished by fine casting and chasing, these two groups form a spectacular decorative pair, worthy of a grand entrance hall or state room.

62 000 €

Artist / Maker: After Gaspard Marsy & François Girardon
Circa: 1870
Origin: France
Dimensions: Borée et Orithye - Height : 40.9 in(104 cm)
Width : 16.9 in(43 cm)
Depth : 17.7 in(45 cm)
Height with base : 68.9 in(175 cm)
Square bronze base : 15.7 x 15 in(40 x 38 cm)
Proserpine - Height : 44.9 in(114 cm)
Width : 20.9 in(53 cm)
Depth : 16.1 in(41 cm)
Height with base : 73.6 in(187 cm)
Square bronze base : 15.7 x 14.6 in(40 x 37 cm)
Technique / Materials: Patinated bronze
Provenance: Robin Chichester-Clark, Moyola Park, Castledawson.
Museum collections: Marble by Gaspard Marsy (1624–1681), completed by Anselme Flamen, Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. MR 1844) Marble by François Girardon (1628–1715), Château de Versailles (inv. MR 1865 / inv. 1850.9210)
Bibliography: These groups are inspired by the abduction sculptures of the “Grande Commande”, commissioned in 1674 by the Bâtiments du Roi under the authority of Jean-Baptiste Colbert for the Parterre d'Eau of the gardens of Versailles. Conceived under the artistic direction of Charles Le Brun, who provided the drawings, the ensemble was intended to celebrate the glory of Louis XIV through solar iconography and the cosmic order, comprising notably four mythological abduction groups. Subsequent redesigns of the gardens prevented their intended installation, and the sculptures were ultimately dispersed across various groves and allées throughout the park.