19th century, both signed "J. Clesinger" with "Reduction Mechanique / A. Collas Brevete" mark and mounted on a rounded base; the first depicts Helen of Troy; the second is of the female poet Sappho which is also signed "F. Barbedienne Fondeur."

Both 26.5 in.

The Collection of Albert Koonce Harrison, Charlotte, NC

Clesinger was a man known for excess, as his friend Baudelaire wrote. He caused a sensation with his "Woman Bitten by a Snake" in 1847, which was erotic for erotic's sake. These two bronzes were completed after 1858, as Clesinger was seeking a chair in the Academie des Beaux Arts and therefore practicing a more acceptable academic form of sculpture. Both of these bronzes, smaller reproductions of larger works, showcase his great talent and eye for detail.

The Sappho bronze is separated from its base; its head also appears to have been broken and re-attached, leaving a line around the neck.

$2,000 - 4,000