Small bronze sculpture with brown patina depicting a young boy playing by the sea with a turtle. The naked child is seated on a fisherman's net. His cap and scapular (a devotional object worn around the neck) indicate his Neapolitan origin. His carefree attitude and joyful face instill an unprecedented sense of freedom. After François Rude (1784-1855). Early edition cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne signed on the terrace. 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 minor light wear. Documentation Our bronze sculpture is based on the marble statue exhibited by Rude at the 1833 Salon, where it was a great success. For the first time, an artist was creating 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. In both theme and style, Rude broke with the classical style and inaugurated a theme destined for immense vogue. At the 1833 Salon, Francisque Joseph Duret (1804-1865) exhibited a "Young fisherman dancing the tarantella, a souvenir of Naples". Interest in this subject was stimulated by Madame de Staël's novel "Corinne ou l'Italie", published in 1807. For poets and artists at the turn of the century, the picturesque figures of peasants and fishermen embodied the simple, innocent nature of which Italy would be the last refuge. Rude's marble "Jeune pêcheur napolitain" (Neapolitan Young Fisherman) was acquired by the French State for the Musée du Luxembourg and is currently housed at the Musée du Louvre. Bibliography: Online catalog of works from the Musée du Louvre. https://www.louvre.fr/oeuvre-notices/jeune-pecheur-napolitain-jouant-avec-une-tortue 19th century, Circa: 1850 Dim: W:18cm, D:9cm, H:15cm.
- Reference :
- 2416
- Availability :
- Sold
- Width :
- 18 (cm)
- Height :
- 15 (cm)
- Depth :
- 9 (cm)
- Identifier Exists:
- False
