BRONZE SCULPTURE "YOUNG NEAPOLITAN FISHERMAN PLAYING WITH A TURTLE" AFTER FRANÇOIS RUDE

Small bronze sculpture with a brown patina depicting a young boy playing with a turtle by the sea. The naked child sits on a fishing net. His cap and scapular (a devotional object worn around the neck) indicate his Neapolitan origin. His carefree attitude and joyful face convey a unique sense of freedom. After François Rude (1784-1855). Early cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne, signed on the base. Mechanical reduction stamp A. Collas. Marked in black ink under the base: "30917 rl, rl". 19th century. Condition: This sculpture is in very good overall condition, with slight wear consistent with age. Documentation: Our bronze sculpture is based on the marble statue exhibited by Rude at the Salon of 1833, where it was very well received. For the first time, an artist created a picturesque figure, an anecdotal subject, a genre scene in a material as precious as marble, previously reserved for the noble subjects of official art. Through both theme and style, Rude broke with classical tradition and inaugurated a theme destined for immense popularity. As early as the Salon of 1833, Francisque Joseph Duret (1804-1865) exhibited a "Young Fisherman Dancing the Tarantella, a Souvenir of Naples." Interest in this subject was due, among other things, to the novel "Corinne, or Italy," published in 1807 by Madame de Staël. Following this story, the picturesque figures of peasants and fishermen embodied, for the poets and artists of the early 19th century, a simple and innocent nature, of which Italy was considered the last refuge. Rude's marble sculpture "Young Neapolitan Fisherman" was acquired by the French state for the Musée du Luxembourg and is currently housed in the Louvre Museum. Bibliography: Online catalogue of works in the Louvre Museum. https://www.louvre.fr/oeuvre-notices/jeune-pecheur-napolitain-jouant-avec-une-tortue 19th century, Circa: 1850 Dimensions: W:18cm, D:9cm, H:15cm.