拍品专文
Born in Lilles of Italian parents, Emmanuele Villanis was perhaps the most prolific sculptor of the late Victorian early Art Nouveau period. In the late 1880s after his initial successes, Villanis shunned the exhibition and Salon circuits. It was said that he became an industry unto himself and that his prolific output of bronzes are what helped keep France solvent during the 1880s and 1890s.
The present figure of Sapho, dating from the turn of the century, is typical of Villanis's style. Sapho's serene and pensive expression, the deep cuts made for her eyes and the artistic scrolling of the subjects name below her face are all characteristic of Villanis's work and distinguish him from his contemporaries.
The present figure of Sapho, dating from the turn of the century, is typical of Villanis's style. Sapho's serene and pensive expression, the deep cuts made for her eyes and the artistic scrolling of the subjects name below her face are all characteristic of Villanis's work and distinguish him from his contemporaries.