Pandora" alabaster statuette after James Pradier, late 19th century

Delicate alabaster statuette of Pandora, after James Pradier. She is draped in a long veil extending from her tiara, concealing half of her body and revealing one of her breasts. She is adorned with rich jewels: a large pearl necklace, earrings and a pearl chain falling to her hip. In a contraposto position borrowed from Greco-Roman sculpture, she carries a covered two-handled urn engraved with plant motifs. The fine sculptural work gives great plasticity to the body and a detailed treatment to the drapery. The alabaster color enhances the form by imitating the color of flesh, making this statuette all the more sensual.

James Pradier's Pandora

In 1845, James Pradier completed a clay model of Pandora with the idea of making a monumental version. Alas, the marble block ordered for this project was not beautiful enough for the artist, who gave up working on it. A few years later, James Pradier sent a bronze edition of his Pandora to the 1850 Salon. Our alabaster sculpture belongs to a different category of statuettes, designed for a wider public following the sculptor's success in the mid-19th century. The mythological figure of Pandora, the epitome of the 19th-century femme fatale, was one of Pradier's most popular subjects. The Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève owns and exhibits the 1845 clay model in its collection.

Base diameter: 11.5 cm

Circa: 1880

Dim: W: 17cm, D: 12cm, H: 50cm.
Dim: W: 6,7in, D: 4,7in, H: 19,7in.

Condition report: In good condition. Minor wear to foot.