Attributed to Hippolyte François Moreau, end of 19th century.

Attributed to HIPPOLYTE FRANÇOIS MOREAU (France, 1832 - 1927), late 19th century.
"Children's group next to a dog".
Marble.
Measurements: 81 x 41 x 40 cm.

This successful marble sculpture represents a couple of children, perhaps siblings, with one of them playing the flute while the other looks up in amazement. The dog, a symbol of fidelity, sits in the middle with the child's hand sitting on his back. The children are naked, only covered with light drapery to express the timeless allegorical sense of the scene. The splendid technique allows us to guess that this is a work attributed to Hippolyte Moreau, whose best works include charming full figures of children and young women, mostly allegorical, often with the same themes used by his brother, Auguste.

The son of Jean-Baptiste Moreau, Hippolyte trained as a sculptor in his father's workshop. With his brothers Mathurin and Auguste, he moved from his native Dijon to Paris, where he completed his training with the classicist master François Jouffroy. Between 1863 and 1914 he participated in the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited sculptures of female figures and children of allegorical or symbolic resonance, mainly inspired by the art of the 18th century. He also participated in several Universal Exhibitions, winning medals in the editions of 1877 and 1900. His production is mainly of small and medium format in bronze, although he also made decorative objects and objects of use in metal or ceramics, such as letter openers, vases, small statuettes and baskets. One of his most celebrated public works was the statue of Clairault, located on the façade of the Hôtel Cité in Paris. Most of his works are preserved in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, although he is also represented in the Musée de Chambéry and in various private collections.