Hippolyte François Moreau

HIPPOLYTE FRANÇOIS MOREAU (Dijon, France, 1832-1927).
"The Dream," c. 1890.
Bronze with brown patina.
Features engraved plaque; "Dream, Salon des Beaux-Arts."
With founder's stamp on reverse.
Signed by H.F. Moreau.
Measurements: 58 x 25 x 25 cm.
Sculpture made in bronze following the model of the marble work presented at the 1887 Salon. The piece follows the style of the time presenting a graceful feminine figure of great timeless beauty and classical inspiration. Hippolyte Moreau's style was academic and realistic, characterized by the quality of his finishes, by his realism and, above all, by the grace, charm and elegance of his models.
Hippolyte François Moreau was a French sculptor of the renowned dynasty of sculptors Jean-Baptiste Moreau. Born in 1832 in Dijon, France, the son of renowned sculptor Jean-Baptiste, he grew up in his father's workshop. As a young man, Moreau moved to Paris to continue his studies with François Jouffroy at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He first exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1863 and continued there until 1914.
Most of his work consists of charming figures of children and young people, mostly allegorical, often depicting the same subjects as those of his brother Auguste.
In 1878 and 1900, he won medals for his work - large-format decorative pieces such as vases and statuettes - at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Among his most notable sculptures is his 1880 statue of the famous French mathematician Alexis Clairaut, which now permanently occupies one of the facades of the Paris City Hall. He died in 1927 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, and several of his works are now preserved in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. Bibliography: Les Bronzes du XIXè Siècle, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs, Pierre Kjellberg, Les Éditions de l'Amateur.