--- title: Mitoraj Persée & Asclépios — Køb & Sælg | Samler description: Mitoraj Persée & Asclépios (1988) — parrede bronzetorsi, Pietrasanta. Samler køber begge udgaver. Udgavedetaljer, størrelsesvarianter, auktionsrekorder, tilstand. canonical: https://mitoraj-search.com/da/mitoraj-persee-asclepios.html license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ credit: mitoraj-search.com --- # Igor Mitoraj — Persée & Asclépios Ejer du dette værk?[Sælg →](sell-mitoraj.html) [sukaiqun@gmail.com](mailto:sukaiqun@gmail.com)[+48 575 967 063](tel:+48575967063) The **Persée** (Perseus) and **Asclépios** bronze torsos — both from 1988 — are among the most elegant and collected works in Mitoraj's extensive bronze catalogue. Green-patinated, signed, on travertine bases, these two companion pieces represent the artist at the height of his Pietrasanta period. If you own either or both, I am an active buyer at fair market prices. ## About the 1988 Torso Series In 1988 Mitoraj produced a group of truncated male torsos in the Pietrasanta foundries — working with the _Fonderia Mariani_ and related Tuscan bronze casters — that would become his most commercially successful editions. The two most significant are **Persée** and **Asclépios**: companion pieces sharing a formal vocabulary of truncation, classical reference, and the rectangular chest aperture that recurs throughout Mitoraj's entire career as a structural signature. Both were conceived and first cast in 1988 and have been consistently represented at European auction since the mid-1990s. Each is mounted on a travertine base — a deliberate material choice by the artist, as travertine is the stone of the Roman Colosseum and the ancient world made physically present. ### Persée (Perseus) — 1988 Bronze · green or brown patina · Edition of 1000 + HC · Signed MITORAJ · Foundry stamp: Fonderia Mariani, Pietrasanta · Travertine base **Dimensions (sculpture alone):** height approx. 38 cm · width approx. 28 cm · depth approx. 14 cm **Dimensions (with base):** total height approx. 48–50 cm · base approx. 25 × 18 × 10 cm **Weight:** approx. 6–8 kg (bronze alone); 11–14 kg with travertine base Perseus carries a rectangular void at the left pectoral, piercing through the chest. The torso is cut at the neck and at the pelvis; arms are truncated at the shoulders. The surface is either green oxide patina (standard) or warm brown patina (less common, both authentic). Signature _MITORAJ_ appears incised on the lower front right; the edition number (e.g. _478/1000_ or _HC 12/30_) is stamped or incised on the lower back. HC (hors commerce) copies numbered to 30 were produced alongside the main edition and are considered equivalent in desirability. ### Asclépios (Asclepius) — 1988 Bronze · green or brown patina · Edition of 1000 + HC · Signed MITORAJ · Foundry stamp: Fonderia Mariani, Pietrasanta · Travertine or white stone base **Dimensions (sculpture alone):** height approx. 38 cm · width approx. 28 cm · depth approx. 14 cm **Dimensions (with base):** total height approx. 48–50 cm · base approx. 25 × 18 × 10 cm **Weight:** approx. 6–8 kg (bronze alone); 11–14 kg with base Asclépios is the companion to Persée: the rectangular chest aperture is positioned centrally and slightly lower than in Persée, referencing the heart directly. The medical symbolism is intentional — Asclepius is the god of medicine, whose rod and serpent remain the international symbol of healing. Some examples were given a white stone (marble or limestone) base rather than travertine; these are equally original. Signature and edition markings follow the same convention as Persée. Brown-patina examples of Asclépios are marginally rarer than the equivalent Persée variants. ## Names in Other Languages Both works are sold and documented under several name variants depending on the country of sale: - **Persée** (French, most common in auction catalogues) · **Perseus** (English, German, Dutch, Polish, Scandinavian) · **Perseo** (Italian, Spanish) - **Asclépios** (French) · **Asclepius** (English) · **Asklepios** (German, Greek) · **Asclepio** (Italian, Spanish) · **Eskulap** (Polish) · **Asklepios** (Scandinavian) When searching auction databases, it is worth querying all variants — catalogues at German and Polish houses often use the Latinised or vernacular form rather than the French. The works also occasionally appear under the broader descriptor _Torso_ or _Torso masculin_ in older French catalogues. ## Edition Structure and Authentication Both Persée and Asclépios were produced in a **main edition of 1000** plus **30 HC (hors commerce)** copies. The edition number is typically found on the rear lower surface of the bronze, either incised or stamped: format _NNN/1000_ for the main edition, or _HC NN/30_ for hors commerce copies. The artist's signature _MITORAJ_ appears on the front lower right of the sculpture, incised with varying depth depending on the casting batch. The **foundry stamp** — typically reading _Fonderia Mariani Pietrasanta_ or variants thereof — should be present on the rear or base. Its absence is not necessarily disqualifying for earlier castings, but its presence is a positive authentication marker. Artcurial, which held the primary commercial relationship with Mitoraj in France, has records of many edition bronzes and can assist with provenance verification on request. There are no known authorised re-editions of either Persée or Asclépios. Works presented as later casts, or without foundry marks, should be treated with caution unless accompanied by solid documentation. ## Selling Persée or Asclépios I own both Persée and Asclépios and understand their value very well. If you are considering selling either piece, I can make a prompt and fair offer. The presence of the original travertine base adds value, but I buy pieces without bases equally. No certificate is required. ## From the Collection — Photographs The following photographs show examples of Persée and Asclépios from the collection — both the standard green-patina variant and the rarer brown-patina version, alongside a close detail of the chest aperture. ![Persée (1988) — Brown Patina — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-brown-2.webp) **Persée (1988) — Brown Patina** Ed. 1000 · 38 cm · warm brown patina ![Asclépios (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, warm brown patina bronze torso, travertine base, Ed. 1000](/images/mitoraj-persee-brown-patina.webp?v=2) **Asclépios (1988) — Brown Patina** 1988 · Ed. 1000 · 38 × 28 × 14 cm ![Persée (1988) three bronzes — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-trio-2.webp) **Persée (1988) — Trio** Three Persée bronzes · Ed. 1000 ![Persée (1988) green patina — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-detail.webp) **Persée — Additional View** 1988 · second angle ## Additional Collection Views ![Persée (1988) — Second Angle — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-brown-1-r.webp) **Persée (1988) — Second Angle**Green patina · showing chest aperture depth ![Persée & Asclépios Together — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-asclepios-duo.webp) **Persée & Asclépios Together**1988 pair · both on travertine bases ![Persée (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze torso, chest aperture visible, travertine base, Ed. 999 + AP](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-1.webp) **Persée (1988)**Chest aperture visible · travertine base ![Persée (1988) — Second View — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-2.webp) **Persée (1988) — Second View**Full torso · travertine base ![Asclépios (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze torso, signed MITORAJ, travertine base, Ed. 1000](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-asclepios-new.webp) **Asclépios (1988)**1988 · signed MITORAJ · travertine base ![Persée (1988) — rear view with scale — Igor Mitoraj](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-back.webp) **Persée (1988) — Rear View**Green patina · showing scale and back detail · private collection ![Persée (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze, front view, Ed. 999 + AP](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-3.webp) **Persée (1988) — Front View**Green patina · Ed. 999 · private collection ![Persée (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze, angled view showing chest aperture](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-4.webp) **Persée (1988) — Angled View**Green patina · chest aperture visible · private collection ![Persée (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze, detail of face and helmet, private collection](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-5.webp) **Persée (1988) — Face Detail**Green patina · helmet and face detail · private collection ![Persée (1988) — Igor Mitoraj, green patina bronze torso, canary yellow background, private collection](https://mitoraj-search.com/images/mitoraj-persee-new-4-yellow.webp) **Persée (1988) — Yellow Background**Green patina · canary yellow studio · private collection ## The Mythology of Persée and Asclépios Mitoraj chose Perseus and Asclepius — two of Greek mythology's most resonant figures — as the subjects for his most commercially successful bronze series. **Perseus** (Persée) was the hero who slew Medusa by viewing her reflection in his shield, averting the direct gaze that turned mortals to stone. **Asclepius** (Asclépios) was the god of medicine and healing, whose symbol — a serpent entwined around a rod — remains the emblem of medicine to this day. The chest aperture in Asclépios refers directly to this medical identity: a window into the heart, the organ that Asclepius governs. By choosing these two figures for a paired series on travertine bases, Mitoraj created a dialogue: the warrior hero and the healer god, both truncated, both pierced, both silent. The void in the chest — present in both works, positioned differently — is Mitoraj's most recurring structural device: a literal opening in the body through which sky, light, or another space becomes visible. ## Identifying Green vs Brown Patina Variants Both Persée and Asclépios were produced in two primary patina variants: **green oxide** (the standard finish) and **warm brown** (a less common alternative patination applied at the foundry). Both are equally authentic; the patina choice was made during the finishing process at Pietrasanta. Green-patinated examples are more common in the secondary market and represent the work as most people know it. Brown-patinated examples are slightly rarer and attract collectors who prefer the warmer, more tactile quality of the surface. At auction, brown patina examples occasionally achieve small premiums over green, but the difference is not consistent. Both variants carry the same signature, edition number, and foundry marks. ## The Travertine Base — Completeness and Value The original travertine base is a significant component of both works. Travertine — the warm cream-beige sedimentary stone quarried near Tivoli, outside Rome — was chosen by Mitoraj specifically for its classical associations: it is the stone from which the Colosseum is built. The base is not merely functional but thematic. Examples that retain the original travertine base in good condition achieve more at auction than equivalent pieces without the base. The base dimensions vary slightly across castings but are typically rectangular, approximately 25 × 18 × 10 cm. Missing or replaced bases (marble, wood, or other stone) are a notable deduction from the catalogue value. See also: [All Mitoraj bronzes wanted](/da/mitoraj-bronze-sculptures.html) · [Centurione series](/da/mitoraj-centurione.html) · [Auction price guide](/da/mitoraj-auction-prices.html) ## About This Collection This site documents one private collector's search for works by Igor Mitoraj (1944–2014) — the Polish-French sculptor celebrated for his fractured classical figures in bronze and marble. Mitoraj studied in Kraków under Tadeusz Kantor, trained in Paris at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, and established his permanent studio in Pietrasanta, Tuscany in 1983. His work is held in public collections across Europe and the Americas, and his auction record — €6.89 million for a monumental _Tindaro Screpolato_ at Sotheby's Paris in 2019 — places him among the most sought-after post-war European sculptors. If you have a Mitoraj work available, please use the contact button to get in touch. Vil du sælge et Mitoraj-kunstværk? [Se vores salgsside →](/da/sell-mitoraj.html) --- _Markdown version of [https://mitoraj-search.com/da/mitoraj-persee-asclepios.html](https://mitoraj-search.com/da/mitoraj-persee-asclepios.html). Photos CC BY 4.0 — attribute mitoraj-search.com._