Ormolu and marble sculpture of a young woman by Gory

This ormolu (gilt bronze) and Carrara marble sculpture is by the Italian-born sculptor Affortunato Gory. Gory, who was born in Florence, was active in France from about 1895 until his death in 1925. He is known today for his sculptures of female figures produced from pristine white marbles, particularly Carrara, and ormolu (gilt bronze), or, on occasion, his use of ivory and ormolu. This dynamic, between white ivory and gold, is known as chryselephantine sculpture—literally an amalgam of ‘gold’ and ‘ivory’ in Ancient Greek. The present piece imitates the effect of chryselephantine sculpture, the white of the Carrara marble complementing beautifully the glistening gilt bronze.

The sculpture is of a young woman standing in contrapposto, her right foot slightly ahead of her left. She stands with her left arm limp by her side, lightly clutching her dress, while her right arm is folded across her breast. She glances to her right with the hint of a smile on her face. Her feet and the flowing dress that robes her, including her headdress, is formed of finely cast ormolu, while her head, chest, and arms are carefully carved from Carrara marble.

The sculpture stands on a veined tapering onyx pedestal, which is raised on four ormolu feet. The piece is signed on the trailing of her ormolu dress ‘A. Gory’.