0 - MOREAU, Mathurin (1822–1912)

MOREAU, Mathurin (1822–1912) "The Storm" (Return from Shellfishing) Bronze group with a nuanced brown patina, signed on the front of the terrace, with the inscription “Hors concours” and a round stamp reading “Médaille d’Honneur.” Number “456” engraved on the back. Cast from an early edition. On a rotating pedestal of stepped breccia marble (signs of wear). Total height: 66 cm Mathurin Moreau, born in Dijon on November 18, 1822, was a leading sculptor of the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. The son and student of sculptor Jean-Baptiste Moreau, he trained in his father’s studio before enrolling at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the guidance of Ramey and Dumont in 1841. He won the second Prix de Rome in 1842. He was awarded a second-class medal at the 1855 World’s Fair in Paris, followed by a first-class medal in 1878. In 1897, for his final appearance at the Salon, he was awarded a medal of honor. His career was marked by public commissions, notably for commemorative monuments, and he worked on the interior decorations of the churches of Saint-Augustin and La Trinité, the Palais de Justice, the Hôtel de Ville, and the Tuileries. Alongside this work, Moreau created numerous statues, statuettes, and sculptural groups, often featuring graceful female figures, which were immensely popular among art lovers. Some of his works are now part of public collections, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and museums in Caen, Dijon, and Reims. Bibliography: Pierre KJELLBERG, “Les Bronzes du XIXème siècle - Dictionnaire des sculpteurs,” Les Editions de l’Amateur, Paris 1987, pp. 511–515 for illustrations of works. Stanislas LAMI, “Dictionary of Sculptors of the French School in the Nineteenth Century,” Nendeln, Kraus reprint 1970, Vol. III.