Claude Michel Clodion???

Discussion in 'Metalware' started by Maria Waters, Apr 8, 2019.

  1. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    'Clodion', the name used by the artist Claude Michel, did numerous versions of putti playing with a goat & little goat-footed baby satyrs playing with a goat, some original compositions, some copied from earlier masters, while he, in turn, was emulated by others. Master Flemish 17th century ivory workers, like Duquesnoy (also Du Quesnoy), did multiple versions of these infant bacchanales, which inspired artists working in other media. I have seen work by Clodion go unrecognized as having been copied form another artist. Clodion signed his pieces conspicuously, so if this does not reproduce his name, it may have to be considered 'after Clodion'.
     
  2. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    It looks as though at least 2 of the putti are wearing armbands with bells, a distinctive feature.
     
  3. Houseful

    Houseful Well-Known Member

    Can we see underneath please?
    Do you think it may be spelter?
     
  4. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    please show the bottom. the white traces hint to a régule or even zinc casting.
     
  5. scoutshouse

    scoutshouse Well-Known Member

    I searched earlier and could not find this configuration (putto crushed by goat and 2 putto). Now seeing it on my computer, it does look like softer material than bronze.

    @Bronwen - can you comment on the scene? the armbands? putto-goat theme?
     
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  6. antidiem

    antidiem Well-Known Member

    Without seeing the bottom, the casting looks new and not real high, 1990s or 2000s.
     
  7. scoutshouse

    scoutshouse Well-Known Member

    Oops - see you already did comment.
     
    Bronwen likes this.
  8. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

  9. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Think the suggestion here would be that the boys are as unruly as the goat.
     
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  10. I did a bit of rubbing (cleaned up his bottom) and it looks very coppery! Not what you would expect from a bronze (IMHO :D). Is this brass maybe? IMG_0133.jpg IMG_0136.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2019
    Bronwen likes this.
  11. Posted above!
     
  12. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    hard to say if "bronzed" spelter or régule. I'd exclude brass because the coloring would be more uniform also inside the figure.
    I see three fixing points for bolts that hint towards a marble or metal base.
     
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  13. Houseful

    Houseful Well-Known Member

    It’s looking more like you have a copper alloy. Here’s a 20th century swan cast in copper alloy. Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin and sometimes silicon and other ingredients depending on the foundries recipe, yours may be mainly a copper mix, it’s hard to tell.
    You will need to repair the patination you have cleaned off. There’s stuff you can buy you can look up, coin people use it. I have used liver of sulphur but it’s unpleasant to use.
    ~
    8FF0CC94-6F12-4C80-94CC-882FB2FEC8FF.jpeg
     
  14. Thank you Bronwen - when you say 'after Clodion' do you mean a repo?
     
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  15. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

  16. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    Thank you for the information. My first real learning for the day.
     
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  17. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I have never seen this work by Clodion:

    Clodion Le Jour.jpg

    correctly recognized as copied from this, which is about 200 years earlier:
    BW 4th Day.jpg
     
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  18. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    But you can get the earrings:

    [​IMG]
     
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