"A Find In Pompeii" (1863) | Hippolyte Alexandre Moulins

HIPPOLYTE ALEXANDRE JULIEN MOULIN
French, 1832-1884

"Une Trouvaille à Pompéi" (A Find in Pompeii)

Sand-cast and patinated bronze | Signed on base "Moulin", sealed with foundry cachet for Thiebaut Freres | a fine lifetime cast circa 1880

Item # 407FNR16W  A very fine lifetime example of Hippolyte Moulin's "A Find in Pompeii" cast circa 1880, examples made prior to the turn of the century are quite scarce and exceedingly difficult to find. Particularly retaining the small statue raised in the figure's hand - the attachment of this element to the figure apparently was somewhat uniformly ill-conceived, as so many of the models that exist today are lacking this tiny (and most important) figure. The base is signed in script "Moulin" and sealed with the foundry cachet for Thiebaut.

First conceived in 1863 and exhibited at the Salon of 1864 (no. 2718), it was subsequently acquired by the French Government for 7000 francs before being shown again at the Exposition Universelle of 1867 (group I, class 3, no 169). Today it sits on a pedestal in the Musée d'Orsay alongside the similarly contrapasto figure of "Winner of the Cockfight" by Alexandre Falguière. Both figures seem to derive inspiration from the figure of Mercury by Giambologna, which is perhaps hinted at in the positioning of the figure held gingerly in our young archeologist's upraised hand. Here he dances with a sense of utter joy, his shovel held gingerly over his shoulder, and having just found this beautiful statue in the ruins he raises his hand high to get a better look at it. The swirling dance of his body is one of sheer elation as the entire figure seems to be in endless motion. Artist Listings & Bibliography: Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de L'École Française, vol. III, Stanislas Lami, 1970, p. 490-492 E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. IX, Gründ, 2006, p. 1411-1412 Bronzes of the 19th Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Kjellberg, 1994, p. 519-520
Measurements: 18 1/8" H; base is 3 3/4" diameter Condition Report:
Figure in hand very carefully reattached in-house. Trace rubbing wear to patina, including some rubbing to the inside of his upraised arm, back of the tiny statue in his hand, the shoulder blades, the shovel, edges of the base and other raised elements; all of this has naturally aged and makes the patina all the more vivid; natural changing in the colors of metals has resulted in the roman pins being visible in numerous joints. Some denting to rim of the base. Carefully cleaned and sealed in conservator's wax. A fine presentation.