"The Struggle for the Heart" after Falconet

Étienne-Maurice Falconet (after)
The Struggle for the Heart

Patinated bronze
18 × 11 × 8½ in.
Inscribed in the casting: “Falconet”

This lively sculptural group depicts two winged putti locked in playful yet earnest contest, their intertwined bodies forming a compact spiral of movement and emotion. One figure presses forward while the other yields slightly, suggesting a moment suspended between resistance and surrender. The subject—love as both game and struggle—was a favored Rococo theme, conveying emotional complexity through charm, intimacy, and graceful physicality.

Étienne-Maurice Falconet was among the most celebrated French sculptors of the 18th century, renowned for his refined modeling, animated compositions, and sensitivity to sentiment. Closely associated with Madame de Pompadour and the intellectual circles of the Enlightenment, Falconet excelled in small-scale works that balanced classical form with Rococo elegance. Casts made after his compositions, such as The Struggle for the Heart, remained popular well into the 19th century, valued for their technical finesse and their embodiment of French taste for wit, tenderness, and expressive movement.