A French 19th Century Bronze and Marble Bust of Marianne in full armor. The nicely cast Baroque Revival brown patinated bronze and carved white marble figure of Marianne, the allegorical personification of the French Republic, presented in her militaristic guise, reminiscent of Minerva, wearing a Phrygian helmet and armored breastplate centered by winged male mask and with lion shoulder armor pads, all raised on a conforming black marble base. Unsigned. Circa: 1890-1900.
Marianne has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty.
Marianne is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honor in town halls and law courts. She is depicted in the Triumph of the Republic, a bronze sculpture overlooking the Place de la Nation in Paris, as well as represented with another Parisian statue on the Place de la République. Her profile stands out on the official government logo of the country, appears on French euro coins and on French postage stamps. She was also featured on the former franc currency and is officially used on most government documents.
Marianne is a significant republican symbol; her French monarchist equivalent is often Joan of Arc. As a national icon Marianne represents opposition to monarchy and the championship of freedom and democracy against all forms of oppression. Other national symbols of Republican France include the tricolor flag, the national motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, the national anthem "La Marseillaise", the coat of arms, and the official Great Seal of France. Marianne also wore a Cockade and a red Phrygian cap symbolizing Liberty.
Minerva and its pendant bust of Mars evoke the classicizing subjects, bust-length formats, and style that originated in France during the reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715) and that concurrently was popularized across Europe. The busts' simple forms, stiff poses, and solemn facial types are consistent with the late Baroque sculptures that were carved in Flanders during this period. In Flanders, especially in Antwerp and Brussels, sculpture and architectural decoration traditionally was carved using combinations of native black marble (noir belge), mottled red marble (rouge belge), and white marble or alabaster. The use of these stones in colorful counterpoint speaks most strongly to the busts’ Flemish origins.
The veneration of ideal heroes and heroines in ancient costume and arms took on extravagant form in the 17th century, with countless variations. Within this imaginative tradition, the identification of the pair as Minerva and Mars cannot be certain. The female bust, for example, could be identified as Bellona, Roman goddess of war, who is depicted in 17th and 18th century French paintings wearing flamboyantly plumed helmets and low-cut cuirasses that expose her breasts. Whatever their identities, the female and male warriors are portrayed as calm rather than bellicose beings. The sovereign pair does not threaten war but rather offers the assurance of peace achieved through martial readiness.
Boldly colorful and easily apprehended, Minerva and Mars probably were intended to make a strong, primarily decorative impact within a grandly embellished setting typical of the period.
Sources:
• The Met Museum
• Wikipedia
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