Quarry

Quarry can refer to an open pit where stone or minerals are mined or to an object of a hunt. This superb bronze sculpture of a muscular man mining stone in a quarry should also be the quarry of any lover of the fine arts.

 

The artist captures the stress of the man's body and the struggle in his face as he strains to heft a heavy rock.

The bronze is signed "L. Eisenberger," the signature of German sculptor Ludwig Eisenberger. Born in 1858, he worked as a sculptor in Berlin from 1895 until his death in 1920. He is best known for his detailed bronze statuettes with a rich brown patina often depicting powerful warriors and athletes, as well as male and female nudes in a classical style.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

1895-1920

An Artistic Encounter

This signed and numbered golden brass plaque is entitled "Encuentro," or, in English, "meeting." It is mounted on an easel of gray velvet, which is impressed with both the title of the work and the name of the artist, Lorraine Pinto.

 

The bas relief abstract image shifts and changes with the light.

The plaque is not only signed by Pinto, but is also dated "2002."

It is furthered numbered, indicating that it is the 65th of a limited edition of 100.

Lorraine Pinto was born in New York in 1933, moving to Mexico City twenty years later. There she became a figure in an artistic movement experimenting with technology and incorporating light, sound, and movement. Pinto organized the Experimental Kinetic Art Laboratory (Laboratorio Experimental de Arte Cinético) in 1964, a workspace for artists to explore technical innovations. She was a pioneer in the use of unconventional materials, such as acrylic, plastic, and neon lights. Her 1968 artwork entitled "The Fifth Dimension," which consisted of two acrylic bubbles housing multicolored acrylic blocks that pulsated with light in response to a musical composition, won the National Sculpture Award. In the 1980s, Pinto moved her focus to sculpture, drawing, and painting. She taught design at the Faculty of Architecture of UNAM and mentored students at her workshop in Mexico City.

Her works are in numerous private and public collections. Among her best known public works are her bust of diplomat and museum director Fernando Gamboa in front of the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum in Mexico City and her 1994 "Caribbean Fantasy," a fountain featuring giant seashells and starfish in the center of Cancun. Pinto has received the Elías Sourasky Award, which is given annually to recognize persons who have made outstanding achievements in Mexican sciences, arts. and letters.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

516-4109

Joan of Arc, They are Calling You

Joan of Arc, Joan of Arc,

Do your eyes, from the skies, see the foe?

Don't you see the drooping Fleurdelis?

Can't you hear the tears of Normandy?

Joan of Arc, Joan of Arc,

Let your spirit guide us through;

Come lead your France to victory;

Joan of Arc, they are calling you. 

"Joan of Arc, They are Calling You" (1917),  

Jack Wells, Al Bryan, and Willie Weston

This superb sculpture captures Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc in French), French heroine and Catholic saint, as she rallies French troops during the final phase of the Anglo-French Hundred Years' War. Born in 1412 to a peasant family, she claimed to have received visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to fight in support of King Charles VII and free France from English domination. At the age of 17, Joan met with Charles, then the dauphin. Charles granted Joan's request to be placed at the head of his army. After a series of victories, Charles VII was consecrated as king. However, Joan was captured in 1430 by a faction of French nobles allied with the English and handed over to the English for trial. She was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake in 1431. Joan was later declared innocent by a tribunal authorized by Pope Callixtus III and canonized in 1920. 

The finely detailed sculpture beautifully portrays the young Maid of Orleans armored and ready for battle atop a spirited steed.

The sculpture is after a work by French sculptor August Moreau (1855-1915), renown for his romantic, allegorical, or historic images. He was a member of a celebrated family of French artists, beginning with his father, Jean-Baptiste Moreau. August exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon and his creations were popular with the public, often reproduced in various sizes and materials.

Of bronze-clad spelter, the statue is stamped the back of the base "Fabrication Francaise * Made in France * Paris." This foundry operated from the 1890s to just before WWI. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New but things can sell quickly!

230-8246