Auguste Moreau

AUGUSTE MOREAU (France, 1834 - 1917)
"Child catching a fly".
Marble.
Signed.
Measurements: 62 x 24 x 31 cm.
This delicate sculpture in marble, made by Auguste Moreau, represents a child of putto inspiration, figure heir to the classical tradition and widely used in European art as a symbol of innocence, tenderness and grace. The work evidences the ornamental sensitivity and technical refinement characteristic of Moreau, one of the most appreciated French sculptors of the late 19th century for his ability to combine academic elegance and decorative appeal. Although Auguste Moreau achieved great fame for his bronze sculptures, highly valued in the bourgeois interiors of the Belle Époque, his works in marble are considerably scarcer and, therefore, especially appreciated by collectors and art historians. In this piece, the artist demonstrates a remarkable mastery of the material, visible in the softness of the modeling, the delicacy of the childlike features and the subtle sensation of movement that animates the figure. The marble, worked with extraordinary finesse, also contributes a luminosity and an almost ethereal quality that intensify the idealized character of the whole. Beyond its obvious decorative function, the sculpture reflects the late 19th century taste for gentle and sentimental scenes inspired by the classical and rococo repertoire. The piece thus embodies the artistic refinement of French sculpture of the period and constitutes a rare example of the marble production of an artist famous mainly for his decorative bronzes.
Auguste began his training as a pupil of his older brother Mathurin. He made his debut at the Paris Salon of 1861, where he participated regularly until 1913. He was also a member of the Société des Artistes Français. His themes - genre scenes, pastoral, allegorical - and his style, realistic and full of grace, link him to other members of the Moreau dynasty. He produced mainly bronzes, although he also worked in marble and occasionally combined bronze with gold ("Victrix enfant", presented at the 1897 Salon). He made numerous editions of his works, highly demanded by the public both for their themes, very fashionable at the time, and for their naturalism and graceful beauty. We can contemplate Auguste Moreau's works in the Museums of Fine Arts of Bordeaux, Dijon, Gray and Reims, as well as in private collections both in France and in other countries (he was especially edited in the United States).