78 - JEAN BAPTISTE CARPEAUX (Valenciennes, 1827 – Courbevoie, 1875). “Bather.”

JEAN BAPTISTE CARPEAUX (Valenciennes, 1827 – Courbevoie, 1875). “Bather.” Patinated bronze. Bears the “Susse Frères” foundry mark. Signed. Measurements: 25 x 8.5 x 8 cm. An elegant small-scale sculpture in patinated bronze by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, based on the model *La Frileuse*, conceived around 1871 and also known as *La chica friolera* or *The Chilly Girl*.The composition depicts a nude young woman who, curled up into a ball, appears to be reacting instinctively to a sensation of cold. Her body adopts a withdrawn posture, with her shoulders raised and her arms close to her torso, while one of her legs is bent, accentuating the impression of spontaneous movement and physical vulnerability. *La Frileuse* was conceived around 1871, during a particularly turbulent period in French history. Carpeaux, who had enjoyed the favor of Napoleon III and the imperial family, saw the circumstances that had until then favored his career change. In these later years, he focused his work on smaller-scale pieces that could be reproduced in various materials and marketed. In this context, Carpeaux pursued an independent commercial strategy. In 1873, he organized a major exhibition-sale of his works, held simultaneously in Paris, London, and Brussels, bypassing the usual channels of the official Salon. This initiative allowed him to better control the presentation and marketing of his works, turning this particular exhibition into a resounding success. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was one of the most prominent French sculptors of the 19th century and a key figure in the renewal of academic sculpture. He trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a student of Francisque Duret, and won the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome in 1854, completing his training at the French Academy in Rome. His work is represented in major international public collections, such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Petit Palais in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Valenciennes.