Roland Mathieu-Meusnier

ROLAND MATHIEU- MEUSNIER (France, 1824 - 1896).
"Male bust of D. Billard", 1886,
Marble.
Signed, dated and titled.
Measurements: 56 x 36 x 27 cm.
Roland Mathieu-Meusnier made his Salon debut in 1843 with a marble bust of the philosopher Pierre-Hyacinthe Azaïs (Versailles). His reputation was enhanced when he won a bronze medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, followed by the prestigious Légion d'Honneur that same year.
Mathieu-Meusnier distinguished himself as one of the most prolific sculptors of his time, creating a large number of busts, medallions and decorative sculptural compositions for public commissions. His works adorned prestigious monuments such as the Opera (La Mosaïque and La Mécanique in the avant-foyer, 1872), the courtyards of the Louvre (L'Orfèvrerie in 1867 for the cour carrée, Le Génie de la Tempête in 1868 in the Pavillon des Sessions, La Verrerie in 1889). His work can also be admired in several cemeteries in Paris, in particular in the Père-Lachaise.