Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, 1827 Valenciennes – 1875 Courbevoie

LE CHINOIS, 1882 - 1892 Bronze, cast, patinated. 35 x 24.5 x 14 cm. Bust section signed: "Bte Carpeaux" and with the eagle seal: "Proprieté Carpeaux". The model was created by the artist in 1868 on commission from George-Eugene Hausmann for the city of Paris, for the fountain on the Avenue de L'Observatoire, as one of four figures of the four continents. Two of the busts, Asia and Africa, were made from models of young people. Several versions of the model were also created in marble and bronze. The naturalistic version was created in 1872. Posthumous editions were created around 1920 by the Susse-Frères manufactory for terracotta and by the Adler-Cachet foundry for bronze. The sculptor was a student of Duret and Rude and was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1854. After studies in Italy and a longer stay in Rome, he settled in Paris in 1862, where he was soon honored with high-ranking commissions. Alongside the decoration of the Flora Pavilion in the Louvre, his work on the façade of the Paris Opera is regarded as his main achievement. Dalou and Forain were among his students. Literature: Cf. Michel Poletti, Alain Richarme, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, sculpteur. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre édité, Paris 2003, p. 122, no. 23. Cf. Édouard Papet, James David Draper, Carpeaux (1827-1875). Un sculpteur pour l'Empire, exhibition catalog, Musée d'Orsay, 2014, pp. 143-151. (1400481) (13)