Now THAT's a Beautiful Tan (Bronze Sculpture)

[ghopper1924]

I recently found this gem at an auction. It's 24.5 inches tall U.S., weighs about 40 pounds, and is hollow. Yes, it's bronze alright. Unfortunately, I can't find this particular statue on the internet at all, although I've found many other bronzes by him.

Who's him you ask? Him was L. Gregoire from France, who lived from 1840 to 1890, a mere 50 years or so. He created a lot of beauty in that relatively short lifetime! I would date this peasant girl to the 1860s, due to the profusion of grapes, which was a very common decorative motif in that decade. She's wearing a mob cap but from what I can tell the rest of her clothing doesn't help much with dating. Even mob caps, for instance, were worn for about 2 centuries, form ca. 1700 to ca. 1900. Not much assistance there.

I'm thinking $2K U.S. for replacement. Does that seem high or low? I wish I could narrow it in better, but weeks of searching have not yielded another one.

Thanks for your help!!!

P.S. It seems you have to click on the pictures to download them? Grrrrrrrr......

[jacon4]

Not a clue on value but the files are PDF but say JPG so.......I'll try & post
OK, same thing happened, offers a link, let me try PDF to JPG converter

[jacon4]

Worked! This site will not load a PDF file except as a link, you must convert the file to JPG to show the image, if this makes any sense.
I'll do the other photo, and maybe get some posts started.

[KC]

NICE PIECE!

I would up that amount!  Bronze sculptures have gone up in price - and French ones have definitely.

I would at least have $3500 if it were mine on insurance replacement.

[ghopper1924]

Thanks both of you! A couple folks on the "other" site seem to think that it's not "real" or "old."  I don't think there's a big market in faithfully reproducing bronze Gregoire sculptures in the 21st century. One poster did find one in France valued at about $1200 plus postage which would make it at least $1500, closer to $2K. Even so, it was an incredible deal, so I'd be happy with that amount. Personally, I feel that KC's right on the nose, as my statue passes all the "tests," i.e. magnets, weight, and details confirmed by the previous owner's family. Whatevs.

Thanks KC and Jason!

[jacon4]

A couple folks on the "other" site seem to think that it's not "real"

Yeah, I would not put much stock in the "other" site opinions, I have pretty much stopped going there. It's loaded down with junk-type dealers who "think" they know all about an object but the reality is, they don't know enough about it to know that they don't know!
Having said that, I have NO IDEA about bronze statues.

[ghopper1924]

Sadly, I'm getting that.

There's one member from across the sea who pretty much nay-says everything. Evidently this person is a hair's breadth from getting banned.

Unfortunately it seems that the knowledge there has either literally died or gone elsewhere.

And THIS site is still way too quiet.

So where can you go for some legit antiques excitement?

[ghopper1924]

Sadly, I'm getting that.

There's one member from across the sea who pretty much nay-says everything. Evidently this person is a hair's breadth from getting banned.

Unfortunately it seems that the knowledge there has either literally died or gone elsewhere.

And THIS site is still way too quiet.

So where can you go for some legit antiques excitement?

PS I just went over to the other site, and could not find a single post in 3 different forums that was even interesting enough to click on.  Junk furniture, boring antiques, just pitiful.

[jacon4]

Yep, it's on the long downhill slide, no doubt. We have seen this movie before!
 It happens, not sure anything can be done, one of the moderators from there emails me from time to time but I am just not interested.
The quality of people there ( yes, some have died but many have just left) plus the quality of objects has taken a severe hit over the past year.
The only thing that keeps the traffic going as opposed to here? Search rankings but, that can't last for long, they are just one algorithm away from disappearing into the dustbin of failed internet antique sites. I am betting their traffic is way down lately and the quality of posts certainly is.
Google already has them on a "black" list as a spam site, I had to put them on a special "white" list at Gmail to even get any notifications and even that wasn't working 90% of the time.

[mart]

I have seen that statue before !  Just need to remember where  !

I told you about that site !  Not good and certainly not correct !  May not have much action here but at least we know what we are doing !  I  feel for all these people who get crappy answers !

[jacon4]

I have seen that statue before !  Just need to remember where  !

I told you about that site !  Not good and certainly not correct !  May not have much action here but at least we know what we are doing !  I  feel for all these people who get crappy answers !

Well, it has become a social site for junk dealers, junk people need a place to gather too, correct?  

"There's one member from across the sea who pretty much nay-says everything. Evidently this person is a hair's breadth from getting banned."

Yeah, heard it thru the grapevine that person just got banned, it's a start I guess. Still, once a site goes down a certain path to irrelevance, I have never seen one rise after that experience. Whatever the reasons for a site's decline they simply never come back.
This applies to most internet sites, not just antique forums. YAHOO! anyone? 

[jacon4]

There COULD be an EXCEPTION to the NO COMEBACK RULE on Twitter, it ain't happened yet but there is more than a good chance that Twitter is on the come back trail IF Elon Musk can pull it off.
Twitter is and has been going down the loser site program, losing members, losing money, losing investors, losing losing losing!
If there is one guy on the planet that can save this site it's probably Elon Musk, GOOD LUCK & GOD-SPEED!

[mart]

I am so glad he bought it !  He  can fix  it if anyone can !