"Autoportrait et Sylvie" is an original bronze sculpture by Bruno Catalano, from his celebrated series Les Voyageurs, one of the most iconic bodies of work in contemporary sculpture. Instantly recognisable through its fragmented silhouettes caught in motion, this work fully embodies the artist's poetic and powerful universe, suspended between departure, absence, identity and journey.
What makes "Autoportrait et Sylvie" truly singular is its deeply intimate dimension: the male figure is a self-portrait of Bruno Catalano himself, standing alongside Sylvie. Two beings side by side, each carrying their own luggage, their own story, their own absence. This duality lends the composition a beautiful sense of movement, a forward momentum, as though the sculpture has captured the suspended moment of a shared departure : two silhouettes advancing together, carried by the same breath. The suitcase held by the male figure and the bag carried by Sylvie serve as the visual and symbolic anchors of the composition. Rendered with exceptional delicacy and remarkable precision, these details speak to the extraordinary level of craftsmanship and finish that defines Bruno Catalano's sculptures, where every element becomes meaningful. The chromatic details - the deep blue and the rich burgundy - stand in striking contrast to the bronzed patina of the faces and torsos, creating a powerful dialogue between raw material and living colour. The overall effect radiates an urban elegance and an assured modernity, rooted in the everyday yet elevated to the realm of symbol.
Through its dual dynamic and forward momentum, the quality of its finish and the richness of its detail, Autoportrait et Sylvie firmly belongs among the most sought-after sculptures by Bruno Catalano. This bronze work unites sculptural strength, refined materiality and narrative power, and carries an additional rare dimension: that of an autobiographical piece, in which the artist himself steps into the work, in motion. A unique sculpture, at once elegant, singular and profoundly of its time, representing a rare opportunity to acquire a Catalano work of exceptional symbolic weight.
