Paul Duboix

PAUL DUBOIS (France, 1829 - 1905)
"Orante", 1899.
Bronze.
Presents the seal of the foundation F. Barbedienne.
Signed, dated and with it of casting.
Measurements: 50 x 18 x 21 cm.
French sculptor and painter active during the second half of the XIX century, grandnephew of the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Paul Dubois studied Law by family imposition, and later he was formed as an artist in the National Superior School of Fine Arts and in the workshop of Armand Toussaint. He finally extended his studies in Rome. In 1860 he participated for the first time in the Paris Salon, and three years later he was awarded for his statues of "St. John the Baptist" and "Narcissus in the Bath". Back in Paris, his successes continued, and in 1865 he won the medal of honor at the 1865 Salon for his "Florentine Cantor of the 15th century". Later he began to receive commissions from important people of the time, such as the equestrian sculpture of Anne de Montmorency for the Duke of Aumale, located at the entrance of the Chantilly castle. His masterpiece is now considered to be the cenotaph of General Lamoricière in the Cathedral of Nantes, 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. Due to his Italian influenced language, he will be considered a member of the group of sculptors called "Florentine", followers of the Italian artists of the Quattrocento. His successes will follow, receiving medals of honor at the Paris Salon in 1865 and 1876, and in 1873 he will be appointed curator of the Luxembourg Museum. 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 Honor. Dubois counted among his disciples outstanding young sculptors, among them Rodin, Camille Claudel and Fabio Stecchi. His works are currently preserved 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.