Paulus Reinhard - Bronze medal: Belle van Zuylen, 1993 - Sold

Title: Belle van Zuylen Object: Bronze medal Dimensions: 75mm Weight: 255 gr Quality: Beautiful
The most special writer that the eighteenth century produced in the Netherlands: Isabella Agnetha Elisabeth van Tuyll van Serooskerken (1740-1805), who wrote under the name Belle van Zuylen, also called Isabelle de Charrière, the name of her later husband. She wrote in the international colloquial language of that time, French; As a result, her work has remained relatively unknown in the Netherlands. The ten-volume publication by Van Oorschot has increased interest, including internationally. She was the example of an enlightened mind. Reinhard, a student of Carasso, only partly took the well-known portrait of Maurice Quentin de la Tour as his starting point. The updo hair and elegant neck are present; but the face is a shadow, like a worn coin. The profile is reinforced by a deep groove, the start of which is at the top of the medal, and this gives a natural irregularity. Her name is in her own rococo handwriting. The reverse side gives an impression of Zuylen Castle, which now looks very different. Reinhard wanted to turn it into a fairytale castle with the 'snake wall' below where Belle played as a girl. A snake wall is an unsupported single-stone wall, which gains its stiffness from its vertical undulation. 'L'amour is an enfant trompeur'. Love is a deceitful child. This is taken from a poem by the author; Reinhard chose that line because he considered it characteristic of the life of Belle van Zuylen. Her life was indeed not a very happy one, but her novels, novellas and enormous number of letters are beautiful. That remains the vision of the sculptor. #Louk Tilanus, Handy Sculpture