Édouard Drouot

ÉDOUARD DROUOT (Sommevoire, France, 1859- Paris, 1945).
"Le méhariste".
Gilt and patinated bronze; Belgian black marble base.
Signed.
Features foundry stamp: "Etling Paris".
Reproduced on pages 84 and 85 of "Les orientalistes. Dictionnaire des sculpteurs, XIXe-XXe siècles" by Stéphane Richemond.
Measurements: 53 x 60 x 15 cm / 3 x 64 x 20 cm (base).

This bronze sculpture by Édouard Drouot represents a Saharan méhariste in full load, mounted on his dromedary. The composition stands out for the dynamism of the whole, as the animal is in motion, supporting only the legs on the right side while the left ones are suspended in the air. The rider, leaning forward to maintain his balance, embodies the tension of the moment prior to the attack during the charge.

Of particular note is the treatment of the rider's face, covered by a veil that adheres to the skin as if it were wet. This subtle effect of wet cloths gives a glimpse of the warrior's lips under the cloth.

The méharistes, to which the work alludes, were units mounted on dromedaries created by France in 1902 as part of the Army of Africa to patrol the Saharan regions. Recruited mainly from the nomadic Chaamba tribe, these corps combined traditional desert skills with European military organization.

Born in Sommevoire, France, Édouard Drouot was primarily a bronze sculptor but also worked in genre painting, achieving with one of his paintings an honorable mention at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition. 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 a 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.

Édouard Drouot is currently represented at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, the Centre Hospitalier de Vichy and the Indiana University Art Museum in the United States.