Charles-François Bailly

CHARLES-FRANÇOIS BAILLY (France, 1844-1914).
"Hercules".
Bronze.
Signed and sealed by the Collin foundry.
Marble base.
Measurements: 42 x 29 x 20 cm; 51 cm (height with base).

Charles-François Bailly was a French sculptor born in Tarare. A student of Joseph-Hugues Fabisch at the Lyon School of Fine Arts, Bailly began exhibiting at the Lyon Salon des Beaux-Arts in 1873. Throughout his career, he was awarded and recognized in various exhibitions and competitions in cities such as Lyon, Paris, Nancy, Carcassonne and Orleans. His tenth place in the competition for the Monument to Adolphe Thiers in Nancy (1878) and his nineteenth place in the competition for the Monument of the Defense of Paris (1879) stand out. Primarily active in Lyon, Charles-François Bailly left a significant legacy of sculptures. Some of his notable works include: Monument to Jean Gerson (1873): adorns the facade of the Saint-Paul church in Lyon. Bust of Soliman Pacha and Bust of Simon Maupin: Both are in the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts. Virgin Mother (1873): A marble sculpture crowning the former church Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation in Lyon. Bust of Joseph Marie Jacquard (1891): An important state commission, housed in the town hall of Lyon's 4th arrondissement.
Statue of General Duphot (1895): A marble work commissioned by the State and destined for the gardens of the Hôtel de Préfecture du Rhône in Lyon. Group "Alsace-Lorraine": Originally located at the intersection of Centrale (now rue de Brest) and Grenette streets in Lyon. Statue of Amphitrite: Decorates the upper courtyard of the Lyon City Hall. Bust of Simon Saint-Jean (1884): Visible in Millery. "Olivier de Serre" (1883): Adorns the vault of the Lyon-Saint-Paul station. One of his most emblematic works is the Monument to Chancellor Gerson, inaugurated on March 2, 1880 in Lyon's Place Gerson. This stone sculptural group pays tribute to Jean Gerson, an influential theologian and preacher. The sculpture depicts Gerson instructing a child, with detailed work on the clothing and features.