After Émile Louis Picault

After ÉMILE LOUIS PICAULT (Paris, 1833 - 1915).
"Perseus on the back of Pegasus with the head of Medusa".
Patinated bronze.
Marble base with faults.
With signature "E. Picault" on the front. With inscription "Salon Des Beaux Arts".
Measurements: 83,5 x 61 x 31 cm.

The first plastic representations of Pegasus mounted by Perseus belong to the Antiquity, since a plate of terracotta melia of the V century B.C. shows the hero with the head of Medusa and on the back of Pegasus. According to the myth, after Perseus cut off Medusa's head (which retained its petrifying power), Pegasus, the mythical winged horse, sprang from her blood.

Sculptor and medalist, Émile Louis Picault was a disciple of the Dutch sculptor Louis Royer. He developed his activity in Paris, and participated in the Salons des Artistes Français between 1863 and 1909. His success in the Salons brought him great recognition, and his works were in great demand. His work, very abundant, mainly focused on allegorical and literary themes, figures of warriors and mythological heroes, often accompanied by slogans in Latin or French. He also produced works inspired by the Modern Age, within the taste of "art troubadour", worked in a style close to that of the neo-Florentines. His pieces have been the subject of numerous editions in bronze by prestigious firms such as Susse or Colin et Houdebine. Émile Picault is currently represented in the French museums of Orsay, Chambery, Clermont-Ferrard, Troyes and Mauberge, as well as in the Renfe Contemporary Sculpture collection.