Édouard Drouot

ÉDOUARD DROUOT (Sommevoire, France, 1859- Paris, 1945).
"Indien à Cheval".
Patinated bronze.
Presents commemorative plaque on the base.
Signed.
Measurements: 53 x 61 x 18 cm.
Cast in bronze this work shows in a precise way an Indian rider on horseback. The posture of both protagonists, truthful, added to a dynamic and expressive modeling, give way to a sculpture in which the balance between narrative force and formal refinement prevails. Throughout his life, Drouot showed a constant interest in narrative, heroic and exotic themes, dealing with historical, mythological and oriental figures, as well as scenes inspired by distant cultures, very much in tune with the colonial and romantic imaginary of the France of his time.
Born in Sommevoire, France, Édouard Drouot was mainly a bronze sculptor but also worked in genre painting, achieving with one of his paintings an honorable mention at the Universal Exposition of Paris in 1900. He studied in the French capital as a disciple of Émile Thomas (1817-1882), a prominent sculptor of the time who carried out important official commissions and made portraits, monuments and sculptures in bronze and marble with allegorical and mythological themes. Drouot later furthered his training with Mathurin Moreau (1822-1891), one of the most prominent members of the renowned family of bronze and marble sculptors. Drouot himself achieved great successes, and had a large clientele.
He made busts and sculptures of mainly allegorical and mythological themes, although he also produced works of historical inspiration. His works are characterized by a sense of movement, particularly evident in pieces such as "Printemps", exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1897, "L'Echo", with its sinuous drapery, or his allegory of "Nightfall". Drouot exhibited his works at the Salon since 1889, reiterating his presence during the twentieth century. In the first years of the new century, his works "L'Eveil du Printemps" (1906) and "Andromache" (1912) stand out.
Drouot worked mainly in bronze, and over time he will expand his subject matter to animals, North African themes, Indians on horseback, hunting scenes, etc. However, he was especially known for his allegorical, classical and beautifully formed figures, which earned him international recognition. This flute player is an example of his most characteristic production. It is a young woman, dressed in classical tunic and cloak and crowned with ivy, with delicate and idealized features despite the fact that she is represented blowing an aulos, a double flute from Ancient Greece.