Joseph Michel-Ange Pollet

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 to the bronze, in particular to the body. There are some very minor specks of greening to the drapery at the back. There are a few very minor scratches and abrasions including one to the proper right arm below the shoulder.
"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."

Joseph Pollet was born in Palermo, Italy but practiced and exhibited in Paris, earning the prestigious Légion d’honneur for his work in 1856. His subjects ranged broadly from the historical and classical to the ecclesiastical and allegorical.  

Une heure de la Nuit gained Pollet wide recognition when he exhibited it in plaster at the Salon in 1848. While it was on display he was quickly approached for the rights to edit it, and both Empress Eugenié and the Ministry of the Interior requested a version of it. Since this exhibition, the composition has been reproduced in multiple sizes and in different materials. A marble version of Une Heure de la Nuit was exhibited at the Louvre and is now in the Museum of the Second Empire at Château de Compiègne - a French royal residence built for Louis XV and restored by Napoleon. Other examples of Pollet’s work can be found in the collections of the Musée de Grenoble and the Musée d’Orsay.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Lami, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de l'École Francaise au dix-neuvieme siècle, Paris, 1916, vol. 4, p. 93; A. Le Normand-Romain, A. Pingeot and L. de Margerie, Musée d’Orsay. Catalogue sommaire illustré des sculptures, Paris, 1986, p. 208