After Mathurin Moreau

After MATHURIN MOREAU (Dijon, 1822 – Paris, 1912).
“Galatea,” c. 1900.
Patinated bronze.
It features two plaques with the inscriptions “Galatea” and “Venus with Cupid.”
Signed.
Measurements: 64 x 33 x 27 cm (total).
This work faithfully follows the famous model created by Mathurin Moreau, housed in the Museo Nacional del Prado (inv. E000506), reproducing not only its composition and main formal elements but also its virtually identical dimensions. The close resemblance to the Prado example highlights the success and widespread popularity of Moreau’s models during the second half of the 19th century, which were widely reproduced by French art foundries. Inspired by one of the sculptor’s most representative designs, the piece combines academic elegance with meticulous craftsmanship, constituting an excellent example of French decorative sculpture of the period.
The son of the painter Jean-Baptiste Moreau and brother of the sculptors Auguste and Hippolyte, Mathurin Moreau (1822–1912) worked primarily in small-scale bronze sculpture, though he also created works in ceramics. He exhibited his works at the Paris Salon beginning in 1848, eventually winning the Medal of Honor in the 1897 edition. He combined his artistic career with a career in politics, serving as mayor of Paris’s 19th arrondissement until his death in 1912. His works are currently on display at the Musée du Luxembourg, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, among others, and he has public monuments at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in the French capital.