Art Nouveau Bronze Bust of a Maiden on Marble Base by Henry Jacobs

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A flared, petal-like bonnet crowns this bronze bust of an Art Nouveau maiden, framing her softly sculpted face and downcast … Read more A flared, petal-like bonnet crowns this bronze bust of an Art Nouveau maiden, framing her softly sculpted face and downcast gaze. Cast in the sinuous aesthetic of the turn of the twentieth century, the composition captures a female figure emerging from billowing fabric that wraps diagonally across her chest and flares outward at the shoulders before narrowing to a slender pedestal foot. The bronze displays a consistent, muted dark brown patination with soft metallic highlights across raised contours such as the cheekbones, brow band and fabric edges. Fine surface tooling defines the textured curls escaping beneath her headdress and the delicate folds of her off-the-shoulder bodice. The sweeping drapery creates a sense of fluid movement, transitioning from broad, wing-like flares into a tapering central stem. At the lower rear of the cast drapery, the sculptor's name 'H. Jacobs' is incised into the bronze with a confident flourish and an extended underscore. Produced as a modern casting after an earlier Belle Époque model, the piece reproduces the refined decorative manner associated with continental sculpture of that era. The hollow cast construction provides crisp outer contours while retaining substantial weight in the hand. The sculpture stands securely pinned to a substantial square plinth of polished breccia marble, characterised by dramatic veining in charcoal black, milky white and warm ochre tones. Clean bevelled top edges highlight the natural stone figuring. The underside of the stone base is fitted with dark felt to prevent scuffs to display surfaces. Compact in scale, the bust measures 18 cm in total height, with a span across the widest flared drapery of approximately 17.8 cm. Its modest proportions make it well suited for display on a mantelpiece, bookshelf or writing desk, offering an accessible decorative accent in the classic Art Nouveau taste. See less