Beschreibung:

Russian Bronze Group of Circassian Cavalier Fantasia Cast by Chopin after a model by Evgeny Lanceray, 1873 On a naturalistic oblong base with canted corners, cast as a Circassian in traditional dress standing atop his mount and taking aim with a rifle, one side of the base inscribed in Russian Fantasia. Height 11 inches (28 cm), length 8 1/2 inches (21.6 cm). Literature: Sudbury, G.W., E.A. Lanceray: La Sculpture Russe du Cheval, Paris, 2006, p. 118, a comparable model illustrated. L. A. Dementieva, Album of Models by the Sculptor Eugene Lanceray, Moscow, 2011, No. 4, pp. 38-39, a comparable model illustrated. Circassian Cavalier Fantasia depicts the traditional equestrian sport, dzhigitovka, in which the rider performs various complex tricks, such as standing on the saddle and hanging prone under the belly of the horse. The art of dzhigitovka was perfectly mastered by the Circassians, one of the most ancient peoples of the North Caucusus, a region in the south of the Russian Empire. Lanceray's work is undoubtedly an artistic achievement. The Circassian appears to stand almost effortlessly atop the horse, holding the reins as it attempts to rear, while taking aim with his rifle. The exacting detail of the figure, a hallmark of Lanceray's work, illustrates the artist's keen observation of and familiarity with the traditional Caucasian culture. The model was completed in 1874, and the same year Chopin received a patent to cast the work in bronze. In 1876, it was one of those works presented by Chopin at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, which received favorable reviews. C Estate of Lili Israel