Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Pair of 19th Century Busts by Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

1860

hand fabricated steel edition 2 of 9 Sculpture size 23.5 x 7 x .75" with the base is 23.5 x 9.5 x 5" Clayton Peshlakai was born in the small town of Ft. Defiance, Arizona, on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Although he has no formal art education, Clayton’s involvement in art began at an early age when comic books and graphic novels sparked his interest. A combination of fantastic storytelling and exotic art helped him escape the world he lived in and create a world of his own. He first began drawing with pencil, then pen and ink, eventually incorporating watercolor. He constantly experimented with styles and techniques using watercolor and pen and ink—separately and together—never settling on just one.  In his junior high school wood shop Clayton was exposed to drafting. To him technical drawing was a new form of art. It was rooted in discipline and education—two things he needed when there seemed to be no direction in life. His desire to excel in drafting boosted his grades, and Clayton was invited to attend a college prep high school for “gifted” Native Americans. Here he studied architecture, then went on to the local community college to pursue electrical engineering.  While in college Clayton worked in numerous construction fields to support himself, gaining valuable experience that would benefit him later as a professional artist. Inspired by pipeline construction welders and their ability to manipulate and fuse metal, Clayton’s interest shifted from designing to building. Within a year he became a code-certified welder, obtaining the skills necessary to work with an assortment of metals. Over the next eight years he honed his craft in a variety of industrial fields.  Clayton was introduced to sculpture fabrication in the early 1990s. As a project manager for a small metal art fabrication shop, he worked with artists of various backgrounds, including the late Allan Houser, Dan Namingha, and Bill Barrett, to help create their visions in metal. Art fabrication was a refreshing change from the industrial world and reconnected Clayton with his true passion of working with metals. As a metal fabricator Clayton was satisfied with the challenges presented to him. But when he was contracted as an artist’s assistant for painter William Debilzan...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

A beautifully hand carved, full size Carrara marble figure of a boy. The robe is elegantly draped with clasps.

This monumental bust is a museum-quality example of Roman Baroque sculpture. Crafted by the legendary Domenico Guidi and carved from Carrara marble, the impressive portrait captures the visage of Pope Innocent XI, Benedetto Odescalchi (1611-1689). It presents a larger-than-life example of Guidi’s remarkable skill as a sculptor, which ultimately made his workshop one of the most important in Rome during his age. Today, his works are rarely found on the market, particularly his extraordinary works in marble. Pope Innocent XI was born Benedetto Odescalchi into an Italian noble family of prominent bankers. Spending his early years in banking, he eventually turned to the law, earning his doctorate in 1639. His background would serve him well in his service to the papacy, and he became known as a frugal and devout member of the Church. In 1676, he was unanimously elected Pop after the death of Clement X. During his nearly 13-year reign, he instilled his own personal ideals of austerity and frugality onto the Church, with a deep commitment to reform and piety. He is captured here by Guidi in his traditional Pope’s mozzetta and camauro cap. A wide stole is draped over his shoulders, ornamented by acanthus leaves and the coat of arms of the Odescalchi family. It displays Guidi’s mastery over the chiaroscuro effect, particularly in the high level of contrast in his cheeks and his eyes, which Guidi achieved through various methods of high polish. A very similar portrait sculpture of Pope Innocent XI by Guidi can be found in the collection of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Warsaw bust belongs to a series of portraits of popes which the Odescalchi family commissioned from Domenico Guidi in the 1690s. Compared to that example, the present bust is far more dramatic, with deeper cut lines and a more precise expression. It is likely that the present piece was seen by the Odescalchi family, who ordered a similar one to be made. The piece was almost certainly intended to be displayed in a niche, given its dramatic cutting and its roughly carved back. Others of Guidi’s busts can be found in important collections throughout Italy, England and the United States, though many of these are lesser bronze repetitions. A bronze bust of the Pope Alexander VIII by Guidi is currently in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), while a terracotta version of the same is in the Los Angeles County Museum. A bronze of Pope Alexander VIII can be found in the Princely Collection of Lichtenstein, and his impressive marble papal bust of Clement IX graces the pope’s tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore. The present bust of Pope...

Pair of early 17th-century medallion profiles in antique yellow marble and onyx Pair of medallions depicting Agrippina and Faustina, Rome, 17th century. Ra...

Pair of white marble sculptures - Allegory of Summer and Winter. Italy, early 17th century. 13 x 10 x h 30 cm including base, 11 x 9 x h 28 cm excluding base. Entirely in carved wh...