Carpeaux Jean-Baptiste (1827/1875):

The Imperial Prince with his dog Nero, pink patinated terracotta, size n° 2; square base with the hollow marks of: "Propriété CARPEAUX" and the eagle, located and dated: "J B CARPEAUX TUILERIES 1865"; height 66,5 cm. The artist's old edition and manufacture (but firing outside the studio; the inscription on the front: "S. A. THE IMPERIAL PRINCIPLE" has been removed, only a few traces of the letters remain; very slight crack on the terrace, left side). Second Empire period, 1865/1870. Good condition. Jean-Baptiste CARPEAUX, Valencienne 1827 - Courbevoie 1875. French sculptor and painter, Grand Prix de Rome in 1854, he sculpted: Le jeune pêcheur à la coquille and Le groupe d'Ugolin; he returned to Paris in 1861 where he obtained the support of the imperial court and commissions such as Le triomphe de Flore for the façade of the Louvre, La danse pour l'Opéra, La fontaine des quatre parties du monde which, like its many busts, reflect the official joy and momentum of that period. Nourished with examples from the Renaissance, Michelangelo, Rubens, Rude, his art introduces a new expressive spontaneity and captures in an almost impressionistic way the sensation of the moment.