Henri Honoré Plé

HENRI HONORÉ PLÉ (Paris, 1853–1922).
“David vainqueur” (David the Victor), ca. 1890.
Patinated bronze sculpture.
Signed “Henri Plé” on the base.
Plate with the inscription “David Vainqueur. Salon des Beaux-Arts.”
In good condition.
Measurements: 78 x 28 cm.

This sculpture is an outstanding example of late 19th-century French statuary, in which academicism was combined with a renewed interpretation of major biblical and historical figures. Henri Honoré Plé depicts the young David after his victory over Goliath, moving away from conventional heroic glorification to portray him in a serene and contemplative pose.

The figure stands with a bare torso and his head covered by a headdress. He rests his arms on the hilt of a large sword, while the head of the defeated giant lies at his feet. The careful anatomical modeling, the softness of the skin tones, and the naturalness of the posture are hallmarks of the work, contrasting with the richness of the folds and the treatment of the surfaces. The alternation of different shades of patina accentuates the sculptural qualities of the work as a whole.

Henri Honoré Plé was a French sculptor trained by Mathurin Moreau, whose body of work encompassed historical, mythological, and biblical themes, as well as figures of an Orientalist nature. He exhibited at the Paris Salon beginning in 1877, where he received an honorable mention in 1879, and was awarded a bronze medal at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. His work is represented at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, which houses his sculptural group “Le Premier Pas.”