Posed upon a velvet covered wooden platform is a majestic figure representing Mephisto (Mephistopheles) as depicted in Gounod's opera, Faust. His bisque sculpted head is very angular with chiseled elongated nose, seductively smiling expression, brown glass eyes, incised wrinkles, and pointy ears. His torso and legs are of carton, and his bisque hands are sculpted in a realistic manner as though poised to strum. he is jauntily posed with one leg forward, his arms cradling a wooden mandolin. he wears an extravagant costume of cerise and burgundy silk and velvet with fitted leggings, felt slippers, cape, cap and has a black velvet purse with silver trim, and a silver sword. His head and hands are each signed L.B. Depose.
Movements: He turns his head in a circular nodding and side-to-side movement and strums the mandolin. Music plays.
Historical References: Ex-collection Christian Bailly, and featured in his book, Automata the Golden Years, 1848-1914, wherein Bailly wrote of this model "the head and hands are so beautifully sculpted that they appear to be alive, the face's extraordinary expressiveness, the malicious look in the eyes, the almost palpable wrinkles, the hands' graceful pose; all are worthy of a master sculptor". The 1859 opera, Faust, by Charles-Francois Gounod, was so popular that by 1893 it had been performed more than 1000 times in Paris, notably at the Garnier Opera House, making this a likely centerpiece subject for a firm wishing to appeal to a wealthy and sophisticated clientele. Bailly has related that the model was bestowed on him by the descendants of Leopold Lambert whom he interviewed while researching material for his landmark book. It is possible that bisque Mephistopheles was a prototype or special commission piece never actually put into production. (Note: Mephistopheles with paper mache head was put into production by the Lambert firm, and was considered so keynote that is was listed as #1 in their catalog). Circa 1890.