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Penelope
Born in Montauban, Bourdelle studied in Toulouse and Paris, where he became Rodin's assistant. After his first one-man show in 1905 he achieved widespread recognition. This is one of an edition of 9 intermediate-size bronzes of this subject. It depicts Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, awaiting the hero's return from Troy. The body derives from a study of Cleopatre Sevastos, a Greek sculptress, looking at Hindu sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The head is that of the artist's wife Stephanie.