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Lot Essay
The art critic Armand Barthet wrote in L'Artiste in 1859: Ie taureau est un miracle. Clésinger n'eût-il jamais fait autre chose, qu'il serait aujourd'hui, de par ce taureau seul, au premier rang des sculpteurs modernes. The acquisition of a model of the 'Taureau Romain' by Napoleon for the Tuileries, confirmed Clésingers success.
This subject was cast by Ferdinand Barbidienne's foundry in six different sizes, of which the present lot is the largest model. Clésinger made several variations, including 'Le combat des taureaux romains' (1864), 'Le taureau vainqueur' (1868) and a new modified version of the 'Taureau Romain' in 1878. Another version of the 'Taureau Romain' was exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (see The Romantics to Rodin, exh. cat., 1980, p.177, no.60).
This subject was cast by Ferdinand Barbidienne's foundry in six different sizes, of which the present lot is the largest model. Clésinger made several variations, including 'Le combat des taureaux romains' (1864), 'Le taureau vainqueur' (1868) and a new modified version of the 'Taureau Romain' in 1878. Another version of the 'Taureau Romain' was exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (see The Romantics to Rodin, exh. cat., 1980, p.177, no.60).