Justin-Chrysostôme Sanson

JUSTIN-CHRYSOSTÔME SANSON (1833 - 1910).
"Dancer of Saltarello", ca. 1880.
Patinated bronze sculpture.
Signed, located and with foundry stamp on the base: LEDENTU FRERES, PARIS.
Measurements: 56 x 25,5 x 20 cm.

Sanson participated, between 1868 and 1883, in the decoration of important Parisian monuments, such as the Tuileries Palace, the Louvre Palace or the Opera Garnier. In 1852 he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he trained under the tutelage of François Jouffroy. His great skill led him to win in 1861 the Grand Prix de Rome thanks to his bas-relief Ulysse returning Criséis to his father. Thanks to this achievement, he enjoyed five years as a boarder at the Villa Medici, where he perfected his technique, inspired by the works of Antiquity.

One of his most valued sculptures is the Pietà, located in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Nemours church, which earned him a medal at the 1869 Salon, in its bronze version, while the marble version was awarded at the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition. In recognition of his career, Sanson was named Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor on July 26, 1876.

The work in question must have been conceived by the sculptor during his stay in Rome, representing a young man immersed in the dance of the "saltarello", of Italian origin and of great success during the Middle Ages. It stands out for the foreshortening of the young man, essentially Mannerist, reminiscent of the works of the Italian Cinquecento that Sanson had to see during his stay at Villa Medici. A copy of this work is kept in the Palace of Fontainebleau.