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The International Exhibition: "Reality and Appearances", marble statue, by...Leharivel-duRocher, 1862 Creator: Unknown. The International Exhibition: "Reality and Appearances", marble statue, by...Leharivel-duRocher, 1862 Creator: Unknown
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The International Exhibition: "Reality and Appearances", marble statue, by...Leharivel-duRocher, 1862 Creator: Unknown. The International Exhibition: "Reality and Appearances", marble statue, by...Leharivel-duRocher, 1862 Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: "Reality and Appearances", marble statue, by Victor Leharivel-duRocher, 1862. The contrasted expression of the mask and its wearer is in the highest degree significant and suggestive. The cold marble tells the sad story of many lives - the tale of many a broken heart. Few young girls, we should imagine, escape the necessity of wearing a mask, at least temporarily, either from their own inexperience or indiscretion, from bashfulness and its frequently involuntary disingenuousness, or from the heartless conventional restrictions of society...This is not a very young, love-sick maiden, but a ripe woman: she has plucked the innocent bud and the full-blown flower of pleasure and dropped them heedlessly at her feet...She has now retired behind the scenes; she has left the great stage of the world, and there is for a while no further need for any assumption of false character; she takes off the mask and loosens the constraining drapery. Then the strength of nature asserts itself; then comes the self-questioning, the painful retrospection...She sinks into a seat exhausted with her unnatural effort...with shame, regret, and ennui'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862
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Media ID 35123115
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1862 International Exhibition Appearance Appearing Contrast Cultural Event Drapery Emergence Emerging Exposition Feelings Great London Exposition Happiness Happy International Exhibition Of 1862 Marble Mask Masked Miserable Misery Sadness Trade Fair World Fair Worlds Fair Illustrated London News Nakedness Nudity Reality White And Black
The International Exhibition - Reality and Appearances,
EDITORS COMMENTS
a marble statue by the enigmatic French sculptor, Victor Leharivel-duRocher, created in 1862, presents a captivating and thought-provoking portrayal of a woman shedding the masks of societal expectations. The image, published in the Illustrated London News in 1862, offers a poignant commentary on the complexities of femininity and the burden of false identities. The contrast between the woman's serene, masked exterior and her inner turmoil is striking. The cold, unyielding marble serves as a poignant reminder of the many lives that have been touched by heartache and the necessity of wearing masks, be it due to societal norms or personal indiscretions. The woman depicted is not a young, inexperienced maiden, but rather a mature woman who has experienced the full spectrum of pleasure and pain. She has left the grand stage of the world behind, no longer requiring the assumption of false characters. With the removal of her mask and the loosening of her constricting drapery, she allows her true self to emerge. The statue portrays the woman as she sinks into a seat, exhausted from her unnatural effort to maintain a facade. Her expression is one of shame, regret, and ennui, as she engages in self-questioning and painful retrospection. The powerful depiction of nature's assertion over the woman's weary body is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the transformative power of self-discovery. The creator of this masterpiece, Victor Leharivel-duRocher, remains an enigma, adding an air of mystery to the already intriguing statue. The haunting image continues to resonate with audiences today, inviting us to reflect on the masks we wear in our own lives and the power of shedding them to reveal our true selves.
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