PAUL DUBOIS (France, 1829 - 1905)
"Prayerful".
Bronze.
With the seal of the F. Barbedienne Foundation.
Signed on the base.
Measurements: 50 x 18 x 21 cm.
French sculptor and painter active during the second half of the 19th century, grand-nephew of the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Paul Dubois studied law by family imposition, and later trained as an artist at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and in the studio of Armand Toussaint. He finally extended his studies in Rome. In 1860 he took part for the first time in the Paris Salon, and three years later he was awarded prizes for his statues of "Saint John the Baptist" and "Narcissus in the Bath". On his return to Paris his successes continued, and in 1865 he won the medal of honour at the 1865 Salon for his "Florentine Singer of the 15th Century". He then began to receive commissions from important figures of the time, such as the equestrian sculpture of Anne de Montmorency for the Duke of Aumale, located at the entrance to the Château de Chantilly. His masterpiece is now considered to be the cenotaph of General Lamoricière in Nantes Cathedral, adorned with four magnificent bronze statues inspired by Michelangelo's tomb of the Medici, representing Charity, Wisdom, Faith and Military Courage. Also noteworthy in his production is his "Monument to Joan of Arc" of 1896. Owing to his Italian-influenced language, he was considered a member of the group of sculptors known as the "Florentines", followers of the Italian artists of the Quattrocento. His successes continued, and he received medals of honour at the Paris Salon in 1865 and 1876, and in 1873 he was appointed curator of the Musée du Luxembourg. A few years later, in 1878, he succeeded Guillaume as director of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. Dubois counted among his pupils outstanding young sculptors, including Rodin, Camille Claudel and Fabio Stecchi. His works are now in the Musée d'Orsay, the Petit Palais and the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris, the Musée Fabre in Montpellier and other public and private collections.