Titled ‘L’inspiration’, this beautiful patinated bronze sculpture depicts a full-length winged female figure who represents ‘inspiration’. The woman wears a classical loosely-draped, diaphanous dress and she holds a gilt lyre in one hand. The figure stands on a naturalistic base which is signed ‘Eug. Marioton’. This is set on a waisted plinth which features a quill and a scroll inscribed ‘L’INSPIRATION’.

The bronze was cast from a model by the important French sculptor, Eugène Marioton (1854-1925). Marioton was based in Paris and specialised in the creation of bronze sculptures, typically designed in a Neoclassical style. Marioton was an active member of the Society of French artists, and he was awarded several prizes for his work in his lifetime, including one from the Society of Fine Arts and a grant from the General Council of the Seiene.