A FRENCH WHITE MARBLE PORTRAIT BUST OF FLORA BY ALBERT-ERNEST CARRIER-BELLEUSE (1824-1887) possibly Sophie-Alexandrine Croizette or Marguerite Bellanger, signed 'Carrier-Belleuse', on a turned socle 66cm high Catalogue Note Albert-Ernest Carrier Belleuse was one of the most talented and prolific French artists of the 19th century He reacted against the static poses of the neo-classical art and drew inspiration from the opulence and excess of Rococo portraiture from the 18th century. This bust resembles both Sophie Croizette and Marguerite Bellanger. Sophie Croizette (1847-1901) was a Russian born actress and considered the main rival to Sarah Bernhardt. Marguerite Bellanger (1838-1886) was also an actress and one of the leading figures of the demi-monde of the Second Empire. She was Napoleon III's mistress between 1863 and 1865. She inspired Carrier-Belleuse to create a number of fantasy busts including the Four Seasons. For an identical bust descrbed as 'Sophie Croizette' see Sotheby's, Ninetheenth Century European Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, 22nd November 1988, lot 46.