Auguste Clésinger Paintings: The 10 Most Famous, Through a Gallery's Eye

Woman Bitten by a Snake (Femme piquée par un serpent)

In the grand, gilded halls of the 1847 Paris Salon, few works ignited as much fervent debate and whispered scandal as Auguste Clésinger’s Woman Bitten by a Snake (*Femme piquée par un serpent*). This breathtaking marble masterpiece does not merely sit in stillness; it writhes with a visceral, almost cinematic energy that captures the viewer in a moment of sudden, sharp agony and profound ecstasy. The sculpture depicts a nude…

Woman Bitten by a Snake (Femme piquée par un serpent)

In the grand, gilded halls of the 1847 Paris Salon, few works ignited as much fervent debate and whispered scandal as Auguste Clésinger’s Woman Bitten by a Snake. This breathtaking marble masterpiece does not merely sit in stillness; it writhes with a visceral, almost cinematic energy that captures the viewer in a moment of sudden, sharp agony and profound ecstasy. The sculpture depicts a nude woman, her body contorted in…

Woman Bitten by a Snake

Auguste Clésinger’s 1847 marble sculpture, *Woman Bitten by a Snake*, is far more than a depiction of a dramatic, even unsettling, scene. It’s a potent distillation of Neoclassical ideals colliding with the burgeoning currents of Realism and Romanticism, a work that ignited controversy upon its debut at the Paris Salon and continues to hold an undeniable allure. The sculpture captures a moment of exquisite torment – a reclining nude female…

Madame Sabatier

To stand before the likeness of Madame Sabatier is to encounter a moment suspended in time—a breath held between classical grace and quiet introspection. This marble bust, executed by Auguste Clésinger, transcends mere portraiture; it is an embodiment of refined elegance. The subject’s countenance, captured with such meticulous attention, invites the viewer into a world of serene contemplation. One cannot help but feel the weight of history settling upon those…

Angel of Grief

Auguste Clésinger’s Angel of Grief: A Baroque Echo in Marble The sculpture “Angel of Grief,” created by Auguste Clésinger in 1850, stands as a poignant testament to the artist's mastery of Baroque aesthetics translated into Neo-classical form. Commissioned for the tomb of Euterpe, the muse of music, Frédéric Chopin’s beloved wife, this monumental marble piece embodies profound sorrow and spiritual contemplation—themes deeply rooted in the artistic sensibilities of its time.…

Mounted Herdsmen and Bulls in the Roman Countryside

Leda and the Swan

Sitzender Pan

Pan ist in der griechischen Mythologie der Gott der Hirten. Er ist ein Mischwesen, mit dem Oberkörper eines Menschen und dem Unterkörper eines Widders oder eines Ziegenbocks. Immer wieder findet man Darstellungen Pans in der Kunst. Im christlichen Mittelalter wurde er aufgrund seiner Attribute der Bocksfüße und Kopfhörner dämonisiert und somit häufig als Teufel dargestellt. Die hier abgebildete Figur eines Pans mit brauner Patina ist aus Bronze gegossen und stammt…

Entombment

Chopin