La Danse - Mathurin Moreau (1822- 1912)

Refined French bronze sculpture titled “La Danse” by Mathurin Moreau representing a woman dancing while a putti is playing the double flute. The woman, sensually dressed in a thin dress, carries a thyrsus in her left hand and her hair is decorated with vine leaves. The thyrsus, a staff surmounted by a pine cone which symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and the vine leaves are usually associated with Bacchus, god of the wine. Or in this case they are used by a bacchante who is dancing in honour of the god Bacchus. At her feet a winged putti is playing the aulos, a double flute.


This bronze sculpture “La Danse” by Mathurin Moreau is very elegant as can be seen for instance from the naturally flowing fabric of the clothes and the fine facial expressions. It has a warm brown patina which is in very good condition. This beautiful French bronze sculpture “La Danse” carries the signature “Math. Moreau” on the terrace of the sculpture.


Dimensions: 69 cm high, 24 cm wide and 23 cm deep. Diameter of the base: 20 cm.


Mathurin Moreau (1822- 1912)
Mathurin Moreau, born in Dijon on 18 November 1822 and died in Paris on 14 February 1912, was a French sculptor. He is renowned for his decorative sculptures and he was an expert at portraying feminine grace.


Mathurin Moreau was born from the marriage of the sculptor Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Joseph Moreau and Anne Marianne Richer. His brothers Hippolyte and Auguste were also sculptors. He attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1841 in the workshops of Jules Ramey and Auguste Dumont. Moreau won the second prix de Rome in 1842. And he made his debut at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1848 and stood out there with the statue L’Élégie. He obtained a second class medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1855 in Paris, then a first class medal in 1878. In 1897, he received a medal of honor at the Salon of which he became a member of the jury during the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris.


From 1879 and until his death, Mathurin Moreau was mayor of the 19th arrondissement of Paris. He was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1865 and promoted to Officer of the same Order in 1885.


Literature
- Pierre Kjellberg, “Bronzes of the 19th century”, p. 511-518.