Rare Antique Bertolini Clemente “Pensive” Bronze Woman Figural Sculpture Statue Bookends Ovington New York Luxury Home Decor Art

Details

Description

An exceptional and unusually substantial pair of circa 1915 bronze bookends titled “Pensive,” by Italian sculptor Clemente Bertolini, these beautifully … Read more An exceptional and unusually substantial pair of circa 1915 bronze bookends titled “Pensive,” by Italian sculptor Clemente Bertolini, these beautifully modeled figures combine fine-art sculpture with the elegance and practicality of an early 20th-century luxury library accessory. Each bookend depicts a seated woman absorbed in quiet contemplation, her head lowered and resting thoughtfully against her hand. The composition has a distinctly late Belle Époque / early 20th-century European character, with echoes of Symbolist and academic figurative sculpture. Rather than relying on excessive ornament, Bertolini concentrates attention on the human figure—the natural fall of the woman's long drapery, her relaxed posture, delicate facial modeling, and the subtle sense of introspection conveyed through her pose.

The quality of the casting is particularly impressive. Deep folds in the garments create dramatic highlights and shadows, while the carefully modeled hands, faces, hair, furniture and layered fabric reward closer examination. Their warm, aged bronze surfaces further emphasize the sculptural details and give the pair the presence of small gallery bronzes rather than ordinary decorative bookends.

Each bookend measures approximately 6 inches high, 3.25 inches wide and 4 inches deep and weighs an impressive 4 pounds. At approximately 8 pounds for the pair, their substantial weight makes them genuinely functional for supporting a collection of leather-bound volumes while also underscoring the quality and solidity of the casting. Good antique condition with dark aged untouched surface. Each of these is made of several bronze components, one bookend has a slight lift of head when handled, it is firmly attached and mentioned for detail. Please review the photos for further condition assessment.

Each figure is signed “Clemente.” These bookends also carry an important American retail connection. Each is stamped “Ovington New York” along with a foundry mark. Ovington's was an important luxury retailer and importer specializing in fine decorative objects and gifts from Europe. Period advertising identifies the firm as “The Gift Shop of Fifth Avenue,” and surviving Ovington-marked bronzes demonstrate the retailer's association with European sculptors and high-quality decorative sculpture.

Bertolini Clemente was an Italian sculptor active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Surviving biographical records identify him as a sculptor trained first in Varallo and subsequently at the Accademia Albertina in Turin and the Brera Academy in Milan, where his Verso l'Ignoto received a Tantardini Prize. His documented works include important bronze First World War memorial sculpture in northern Italy, including monuments at Scopello, Cravagliana and Varallo. He later exhibited at the 1927 National Art Exhibition at Brera.

Rare, beautifully executed and exceptionally decorative, this pair brings together Italian sculpture, early 20th-century bronze craftsmanship, and the luxury retail history of Ovington New York. Displayed in a traditional library, study, English Country interior, or alongside a collection of antiquarian books, they have tremendous presence. Their contemplative subject is especially fitting for a library—the two quietly pensive figures appearing almost as though they have paused to reflect upon the books they guard. See less