The pouting child JB Carpeaux

Description

Of modest origin, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux had a difficult youth.
Admitted in 1844 at the school of fine arts (Ecole des Beaux-Arts) in Paris, he entered Rude’s studio in 1846.
He was noticed by Napoleon III and commissions soon followed, namely “The Dance”, a group for the façade of the Opera as well as four parts of the World for the fountain of the Observatoire.
An outstanding technician, he may be considered as an impressionist in sculpture. He managed to blend grace and power and overcomes the anecdotal, the superficial and transitory fashions. This bust of a child is the first modelled piece Carpeaux achieved in Rome (donated by Madame Clément-Carpeaux, 1934-1939). “A young headstrong child bas caught his attention: given that rules impose on him “the study of a head expressing a subject”, he will model the Pouting Child, which he hesitates to call “Brutus as a Child”, so strong is the character of an ancient Roman felt in this tight and stubborn little face” (Louise Clément-Carpeaux, La vérité sur l’Å“uvre et la vie de Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux – Tome 1, p.64).