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Lot Essay
When it was unveiled in Paris on 27 July 1869, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's La Danse caused an immense scandal. The large group, representing the Spirit or Genius of Dance surrounded by six bacchantes and a putto was one of four commissioned by Charles Garnier in 1865 to decorate the ground level of his newly-constructed Opera house. The group was moved in 1964 to the Louvre and is now in the Musée d'Orsay.
The central figure, with his raised arms, upswept hair and billowing drapery effectively captures the movement and joy of dance. Carpeaux combined a representation of a carpenter's body (Sébastian Visat) with the face of a Polish Princess (Hélène de Racowitza) to create a dynamic figure who leads the dancing bacchantes with his tambourine. This edition is the largest of three sizes produced in bronze by Carpeux and his atelier from the late 19th century onward, initially to help cover the enormous cost of the original commission.
The central figure, with his raised arms, upswept hair and billowing drapery effectively captures the movement and joy of dance. Carpeaux combined a representation of a carpenter's body (Sébastian Visat) with the face of a Polish Princess (Hélène de Racowitza) to create a dynamic figure who leads the dancing bacchantes with his tambourine. This edition is the largest of three sizes produced in bronze by Carpeux and his atelier from the late 19th century onward, initially to help cover the enormous cost of the original commission.