según Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse - Statue, Pareja de bronces de músico y bailarín napolitanos - 50 cm - Bronze

Naples-born musician and dancer pair of bronze figures, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, French Romanticism, 19th century - France

Material: Bronze with patina
Author: 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 plinth): 38 cm
Total dimensions: 50 x 18 cm

Magnificent patinated bronze pair executed by the artist Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. The pair consists of two musicians, a troubadour and a Neapolitan dancer.
The sense of movement conveyed by the figures stands out, as if frozen mid-performance, with arms and legs raised. Both have the same structure, a very similar face, with strong features expressing happiness, the torso bare with defined muscles, short pants; in the case of the troubadour with carved striped fabric in bronze and in the case of the dancer with very pronounced folds.

The troubadour figure wears a wide-brimmed hat with rich texture made up of small, fine lines, as well as an ornament with flowers on one side. What stands out most in this piece is the meticulous rendering of the lute he holds in his left hand, full of detail—from the strap to the soundbox. From top to bottom the instrument has four pegs with four strings made from copper strips; on the neck the frets are perfectly marked and bronze-recessed, and finally a mouthpiece with a flower design inscribed in two circles. Additionally, the troubadour has his right arm raised and wears a small pick in his hand to play the instrument.

The dancer figure has a Phrygian cap, widely used in representations of French Romanticism (as in Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People), which also features a texture made from small crescents engraved in the bronze. Moreover, both arms are raised in the midst of a step, and in his hands he holds castanets to accompany the dance.

The two figures are placed on a circular plinth, with a rough texture on the top where the artist’s signature appears. Additionally, the figure with the lute has a polished brass/bronze plate with the word “Trovador” engraved on it.

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887)

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse was a renowned French sculptor and painter. He entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1840, where he studied under David d’Angers. Ten years later he moved to London, where he worked for Minton China Works for five more years. Upon returning to France he began creating and exhibiting his most significant works and earned the sponsorship of Napoleon III, who entrusted him with several monumental bronze sculptures. In 1876 he was named art director of the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, where he incorporated several of his own models.
He greatly admired late French Baroque sculptors, so 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 cutter in his workshop in the 1860s. Subsequently, he created a bust of his master and fellow artist.

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