Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is minor dark spotting and some minor residues to the patina. There are minor abrasions including around the moulded terrasse, particularly at the front left side. There is some slight wear to the patina including to the tops of the legs. There are very slightly visible original stable joints at the tops of the arms.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Jeune Pêcheur à la Coquille epitomizes Carpeaux's style and quickly became a symbol of his art, revised and repeated in many forms. From the sculpture's debut at the 1858 Salon, it was rightly seen as a masterful synthesis of contemporary and Renaissance influences: contemporary in its homage to Carpeaux's master, Franços Rude, whose Jeune Pêcheur à la Tortue was the yardstick by which his work was to be compared and Renaissance in its reflection of the influence of Donatello and Michelangelo whose oeuvres he studied during his sojourn at the Villa Medici.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux sculpteur: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre édité, Paris, 2003, p. 63, no. SA 9