Emile Louis Picault

EMILE LOUIS PICAULT (1833–1915).
"The Sower of Ideas."
Patinated bronze. Gilded wooden base.
Signed. With foundry stamp
Measurements: 96 cm (height of sculpture); 202 cm (height including pedestal).

A sculptor and medalist, Émile Louis Picault was a student of the Dutch sculptor Louis Royer. He worked in Paris and participated in the Salons des Artistes Français between 1863 and 1909. His success at the Salons brought him great recognition, and his works were in high demand. His prolific body of work focuses primarily on allegorical and literary themes, as well as figures of warriors and mythological heroes, often accompanied by mottos in Latin or French. He also created works inspired by the Modern Age, in the “art troubadour” style, executed in a manner reminiscent of the Neo-Florentines. His pieces have been cast in bronze numerous times by prestigious firms such as Susse and Colin et Houdebine. Émile Picault’s works are currently represented in the French museums of Orsay, Chambery, Clermont-Ferrand, Troyes, and Mauberge, as well as in the Renfe Contemporary Sculpture Collection.