Désiré-Maurice Ferrary French, 1852-1904

Désiré-Maurice Ferrary, a student of Jules Cavelier, made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1875. He was awarded the prestigious first grand prize of Rome in 1882. Ferrary is often praised for his playful experimentation with sculpture, often combining different colours of marble, or mixing different media, using bronze, ivory and other precious materials in his sculptures. Perhaps Ferrary’s most well-known model, Salammbo (1899), currently in the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool (inv. No. LL205), showcases a clever combination of different marbles and bronze sculpture.

The present sculpture of Juno is another very impressive example of Ferrary’s predilection for combining different marbles and materials. The contrast of the pure white marble for the Juno figure, framed by the dark bronze background and the yellow marble throne, emphasises the smooth lines of the body and sets the figure apart. Juno’s traditional attribute, the peacock, cast in bronze, is skilfully used as a back support. Juno’s regal, confident, yet sensual pose clearly showcases Ferrary’s preferred style, comparable to the attitude of the Salammbo. These combined features make the Juno a unique and captivating masterpiece.

RELATED LITERATURE

La Sculpture Française au XIXe Siècle, exhib. cat., Grand Palais, Paris, 1986, p. 154, fig. 161;
P. Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th Century. Dictionary of Sculptors, Atglen, 1994, pp. 314-315