A French bronze portrait bust entitled 'Napoleon III en Italie'

CAST FROM A MODEL BY ALBERT-ERNEST CARRIER-BELLEUSE, CIRCA 1859

Details

A French bronze portrait bust entitled 'Napoleon III en Italie'
Cast from a model by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Circa 1859
The Emperor looking ahead, wearing a kepi and a braid-trimmed overcoat, on a spreading square base, inscribed A. Carrier fecit 1859, numbered No. 2, with foundry marks P. G. Pottier/Fondeur de l'Empereur, and with title plaque to the front
16¼ in. (41.2 cm.) high

Lot Essay

As revealed by the title, the French Emperor Napoleon III commissioned this bust as a memento of his participation in the Italian Independance War. France supported the victorious campaigns of Sardinia-Piedmont against Austria, which would eventually lead to the proclamation in 1861 of the Kingdom of Italy under the Savoia dynasty.
The extreme precision of this likeness echoes the popular military paintings of Meissonier and exemplifies Carrier-Belleuse's precocious inclination toward a photographic record of the model. The artist manages to embue modern military dress with character: the Emperor appears as the hero straight from the battlefield, with squared shoulders and and crushed campaign hat.

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