BISCUIT STATUETTE "YOUNG GIRL WITH A BROKEN JUG", 19TH CENTURY

A bisque porcelain figurine depicting a young woman holding flowers, likely peonies, tucked into her skirt. A broken jug hangs from her arm. Although her hair is neatly styled, she wears an untidy dress with a disheveled headscarf and stands barefoot on a dirt path. The base is incised with the signature " G. Levy ". One of the dress's flounces has been broken and repaired.

This figurine is representative of the ambiguous themes of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. While it reflects a taste for a return to nature, it also carries a moralizing warning. Indeed, the broken pitcher is a well-known 18th-century symbol of the loss of virginity. The distraught expression on her face and the hands clasped over her lower abdomen then take on a completely different meaning. Similarly, the peonies she holds symbolize shame. This statuette serves as a cautionary tale for women about the dangers of excessive coquetry. This sculpture is based on a painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) held at the Louvre Museum.

Circa: 1860

Condition report : in good condition.