Large patinated bronze sculpture of Actaeon, by Emile Laporte

By Laporte, Emile (French, 1858-1907)

£9,500

Cast by the Siot-Decauville foundry in Paris, this fine sculpture by Emile Laporte depicts the tragically fated hero Actaeon from Classical mythology.

 

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Description

Depicting a semi-clad nude male figure who holds a bow in one hand, with a quiver placed at this feet, this fine patinated bronze sculpture takes for its subject Actaeon, the ill-fated tragic hero from Classical mythology who was famously killed by his hounds for the crime of seeing the goddess Artemis at her bath.

By Emile Laporte (French, 1858-1907), it was cast by the Siot-Decauville Fondeur, Paris. The myth of Actaeon dates at least as far back as Homer, and has parallels in near-Eastern texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. In it, Actaeon stumbles upon the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, in a moment of vulnerability and privacy as she bathes in a woodland grove. As punishment, she turns him into a deer - or curses him that if he speaks he will turn into a deer - and he is then torn apart by his pack of hunting dogs.

This sculpture depicts Actaeon in the moments before his transformation, still holding his bow in one hand, with which he claimed a prowess that rivalled the goddess, and his quiver has fallen to his feet. His trepidation, curiosity, and sense of foreboding are the main focus of this work, which depicts Actaeon still in a state of heroic athleticism. It is placed on naturalistic circular base, signed E. LAPORTE, and with the mark for the foundry where it was cast.

Details

Artist / Maker
By Laporte, Emile (French, 1858-1907)
Country of Origin
French
Date of Manufacture
Late 19th Century
Period
Late 19th Century
Style
Figurative Art, Hunting, Mythological
Material
Bronze, Patinated Bronze
Colour
Black, Brown, Metallic

Dimensions

Height
84 cm / 33.1 inches
Width
42 cm / 16.5 inches
Depth
44 cm / 17.3 inches

Reference:
17228

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