{"product_id":"inkwell","title":"French Gilt Bronze Nero Portoro Marble Inkwell, Lovers Sculpture, Desk Ink Stand","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eExceptional early 20th century French gilt bronze and marble double inkwell featuring a central bust of lovers in the Neoclassical or Empire style. The romantic gilt bronze sculpture depicts a man and woman styled in classic Greek robes, embracing in a tender kiss with a garland of flowers uniting them. Based after the work by Jean-Antoine HOUDON (1741–1828) titled Le Baiser Donné (\"The Kiss Given\"). Flanked by two inkwells with hinged lids, richly decorated in fluted vertical panels, beaded borders, topped by artichoke finials. Opening to reveal blown clear glass inserts, each bearing their old paper labels indicating they were made in Czechoslovakia.  Surmounted to a polished Nero Portoro marble base with long concaved grooved well serving as a pen rest, and for other writing or desk accessories such as a letter opener or wax seal.  The piece rests on four beautifully casted feet in the form of lion paws integrated with stylized acanthus leaves, each marked to the underside with numbers 1022. Measures 13\" x 8 1\/8\" x 7\" height. Weighs 15lbs alone. In overall good condition with general wear commensurate with age and use. There is a nick to the side edge of the marble base, it is mostly hidden by the veining but can be felt, the marble is in good condition otherwise.  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eHoudon was born in 1747 in Versailles, died in Paris in 1828. He ranks among the most famous French sculptors of the 18th century and particularly of the Neoclassical period. Prized for the realistic rendering of his works and his extraordinary talent, it was at the Royal Academy that the young prodigy won the First Prize in Sculpture, the Prix de Rome, in 1761. He was known for his lifelike portrait busts of philosophers and statesmen like \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jean-Antoine-Houdon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVoltaire\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[[\u0026quot;https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jean-Antoine-Houdon\u0026quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{\u0026quot;1218\u0026quot;:[16]}]],16,null,\u0026quot;Jean-Antoine Houdon | French Rococo Sculptor - Britannica\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;Who was Jean-Antoine Houdon? Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741–1828) was a French sculptor celebrated for his Rococo style, which also incorporated elements of classicism and naturalism. His skill in capturing both physical likeness and character established him as one of history\u0026#39;s greatest portrait sculptors. Houdon gained recognition with works such as St. Bruno (1767) and L\u0026#39;Écorché (1767). His portraits included notable figures like Denis Diderot, Catherine the Great, and Benjamin Franklin. Houdon is also known for his seated figure of Voltaire and his bust of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In 1785, he traveled to America to create a statue of George Washington, now displayed in the Virginia State Capitol.\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q\\u003dtbn:ANd9GcQ8WeKZUjWGsCk__rjrI07c6LhtWxpwzpFs_ICMiaLB24vPoOrkCkLh_n2S9Dpzxk6m1VqzGw6ZskEPV7c\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;Encyclopedia Britannica\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/www.britannica.com\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d128\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL\u0026quot;,[[1787678082483762,90877694,1863884659],null,null,null,null,[[2,0,1,20]]],null,\u0026quot;555add16-0bbe-4904-a32c-8932900294fd\u0026quot;]]--\u003e, Denis Diderot, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. He traveled to Mount Vernon in 1785 to sculpt a life mask and statue of \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/library\/digitalhistory\/digital-encyclopedia\/article\/jean-antoine-houdon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGeorge Washington\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[[\u0026quot;https:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/library\/digitalhistory\/digital-encyclopedia\/article\/jean-antoine-houdon\u0026quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{\u0026quot;1218\u0026quot;:[17]}]],17,null,\u0026quot;Jean-Antoine Houdon | George Washington\u0026#39;s Mount Vernon\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;The sculptor and his three assistants were sent from Paris by Jefferson and Franklin at the request of the Governor of Virginia to create a statue of George Washington for that state. Houdon undertook the commission with the understanding that he was allowed to come to America in order to make a life mask of his subject and then to return to France to complete the project. Houdon was so anxious to work on Washington\u0026#39;s portrait that the salary he accepted was considerably less than his original asking price. Houdon and his three assistants stayed at Mount Vernon for two weeks. In an effort to know his subject better, Houdon followed Washington around and attended a number of social events including the wedding of Martha Washington\u0026#39;s niece Fanny Bassett to George Washington\u0026#39;s nephew George Augustine Washington. On October 6, four days after his arrival on the estate, Houdon began work on the bust of Washington. Houdon typically made his models of clay, while the finished versions of his sculptures might be of marble, plaster, clay, or bronze. Four days later, Houdon used plaster to make a life mask of Washington.\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com\/images?q\\u003dtbn:ANd9GcSXqM2snwGtVplzUU2KtH5s6HhSlaafUJOaN0cqtvQ01-V21OQJ03g282zMozqExfaFKWJrwUlwsFSOqs0\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;George Washington\u0026#39;s Mount Vernon\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d128\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL\u0026quot;,[[1787678082483762,90877694,1863884659],null,null,null,null,[[2,0,1,22]]],null,\u0026quot;547a5c52-c12b-44db-9c7d-9ba78ee06149\u0026quot;]]--\u003e for the Virginia State Capitol. Some of his noted sculptures of Louise Brongniart, the daughter of the architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, and the sister of Alexandre, the future director of the manufacture of Sèvres.  \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"The Antique Boutique","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43199031378014,"sku":"DSK-32819","price":2295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2444\/7807\/files\/frenchinkwellthekissmarble4.png?v=1787539901","url":"https:\/\/theantiqueboutique.net\/products\/inkwell","provider":"The Antique Boutique","version":"1.0","type":"link"}