Victor Barbizet, Allegory of the Loire, Circa 1870-1880, glazed terracotta, Paris, France

This terracotta sculpture represents the allegory of the Loire, a blonde woman with her foot resting on an overturned urn from which a stream of water flows. Dressed in an ancient toga, she holds a sheaf of wheat on her left hip, embodying the fertility and abundance of the lands irrigated by the river. Her sinuous posture and the rocky base she rests upon add dynamism and fluidity to the scene. The basin with flared edges, in which the figure is placed, suggests the movement of water, thus creating a sense of liveliness. This detail, combined with the quality of the glaze, brings a great sense of modernity to a work that blends symbolism and aesthetics.
Victor Barbizet, originally from Dijon, opened his ceramics workshop in Paris in 1845, where he developed a unique style. His use of an opaque tin-based glaze, with blended and velvety tones, distinguishes his creations and earned him international recognition. He participated in numerous exhibitions, including those in Paris, London, and Vienna, before closing his workshop around 1890.