Gold painted bronze with malachite base
France, circa 1900
Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910) – one of the most important French sculptors of the 19th century
Life-size bust of a general with tufted helmet and armor, on a rectangular malachite base with bead and reel
Signed ‘FREMIET’
Possibly a representation of Hannibal
Height (with base): 88 cm
Provenance: German private collection
Glorious bust with a particularly potent combination of gold and malachite; bronzes by the renowned artist fetch over 57,000 euros at international auctions

This impressive work by Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910) shows a life-size bust of a general in armor and wearing a tufted helmet, mounted on a rectangular malachite base with bead and reel. The ornate armor is rendered with great detail and the expressive face testifies to the virtuosity of the French sculptor. The bust possibly depicts Hannibal, one of the greatest battlefield generals of antiquity. Frémiet’s oeuvre shows the artist’s strong interest for important historical figures but he sculptor also achieved great success with his celebrated representations of horses, which he regularly exhibited at the Salon.



The bust is in visually good condition. It shows a few nicks as well as some losses to the base, the bead and reel ornament is missing on one side. It is signed ‘FREMIET’ on the back. The height, including the base, is 88 cm. The bust measures 75.5 cm in height.



Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910)

Emmanuel Frémiet was born into a Parisian family of artists. At the early age of five he attended a private school, where his artistic talent was encouraged. Later, he attended the prestigious École nationale supérieure des arts Décoratifs de Paris. In the Zoological Gardens in Paris, he created animal studies and, like many of his contemporaries, he created preparatory drawings in morgues. As early as 1843 he exhibited his first sculpture at the Salon de Paris, where he had numerous solo exhibitions throughout his lifetime. His bronzes were honored with awards and prizes. In addition, the artist received many public commissions. Frémiet was director of the sculpture department at the Louvre and a sought-after mentor for young sculptors. Nowadays one can still admire many of his large-scale sculptures in Paris. Frémiet’s works are held at the Art Institute in Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre in Paris as well as the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.

Due to the legal obligation for the resale royalty in the art market the following applies: As a result of its membership in the AV Kunst, Auctionata charges additionally to the hammer price the contribution to the AV Kunst of currently 2.1% of the revenues from the sale of fine arts and photographs pro rata towards the buyer. More information about royalty right in our T&C.