Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Pair of Bronze Figures of a Neapolitan Musician and Dancer, 1800s, Bronze

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Pair of bronze figures of a Neapolitan musician and dancer, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, French Romanticism, 19th century - France

Material: Bronze … Read more Pair of bronze figures of a Neapolitan musician and dancer, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, French Romanticism, 19th century - France

Material: Bronze with patina
Artist: Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
Style: French Romanticism
Period: Mid-19th century
Country of origin: France
Good condition considering its age and use
Figure dimensions (without base): 38 cm
Overall dimensions: 50 x 18 cm

A magnificent pair of bronze figures with patina, created by the artist Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. The pair depicts two musicians, a troubadour, and a Neapolitan dancer. The figures convey a remarkable sense of movement, appearing to have been frozen in the middle of a performance, with their arms and legs raised. Both figures share the same structure: a very similar face with pronounced features expressing happiness, a bare torso with defined muscles, and short trousers—the troubadour's with stripes carved in bronze, and the dancer's with sharply defined folds.

The troubadour figure wears a wide-brimmed hat with a rich texture created from small, fine lines, as well as a floral ornament on one side. The most striking feature of this piece is the meticulous craftsmanship of the lute he holds in his left hand, replete with details, from the strap to the soundbox. from top to bottom, the instrument has four tuning pegs from which four copper strings extend. The neck features perfectly defined and recessed bronze frets, and finally, a soundhole with a flower design inscribed within two circles. The troubadour's right arm is raised, and he holds a small plectrum to play the instrument.

The figure of the dancer wears a Phrygian cap, a common motif in French Romantic art (such as in Eugène Delacroix's painting Liberty Leading the People), which also features a texture created by small crescent moons engraved in the bronze. Furthermore, both arms are raised mid-dance, and in his hands he holds castanets which he plays to accompany the dance.

The two figures are placed on a circular base with a rough texture on the top, where the artist's signature is engraved. The figure with the lute also has a polished brass/bronze plaque engraved with the word "Troubadour."

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887)

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse was a renowned French sculptor and painter. In 1840, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a student of David d’Angers. Ten years later, he moved to London, where he worked for Minton China Works for another five years. Upon his return to France, he began creating and exhibiting his most important works and gained the patronage of Napoleon III, who commissioned several monumental bronze sculptures from him. In 1876, he was appointed art director of the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, where he incorporated several of his own designs.

He greatly admired the sculptors of the late French Baroque, and artists such as Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Augustin Pajou, Jean-Antoine Houdon, and Claude Michel "Clodion" were his main sources of inspiration. Auguste Rodin worked as a marble worker in his studio in the 1860s. Later, he created a bust of his teacher and colleague. This piece has an attribution mark,
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