Pair of German Bronze and Onyx of Grand Tour Busts of Hermes and Ariadne
8.5"H x 3.5"W x 2.75"D
 
A wonderful pair of Grand Tour bronze busts of Ariadne based on the antique original in the Vatican Museum of Art in Rome and Hermes of Praxiteles the original being from the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Both busts are stamped with "Guss. v. H. Gladenbeck u Sohn. /Friedchshagen" foundry mark and are mounted on onyx pedestals with bronze accents.
The figures are from the Aktien-Gesellschaft Gladenbeck foundry in Berlin, Germany which was in business from 1851 to 1926. During the 75-year period of operation, it was one of the most important foundries in Germany and was known for producing bronze castings of the highest quality.
The foundry cast many of the best-known bronze sculptures created by German artists in the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th century. In addition to serving the usually modest casing requirements of the German sculptors, the foundry was also capable of large-scale bronze statues. In 1913 the foundry cast the monumental Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D. C. In Central Park in New York City, Gladenbeck cast the much-celebrated fountain Three Dancing Maidens located in the Conservatory Gardens where it has been located and delighted passerby since 1910.
In Berlin, one can still admire gilt bronze figure of Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory which is 27 feet tall and weighs over 35 tons.