Etienne Dumaige

ETIENNE DUMAIGE (France, 1830-1888).
"Florist.
Marble.
Signed, dated and titled.
It sits on a modern black custom-made base with casters.
Measurements: 135 x 50 x 55 cm (sculpture); 55 x 60 x 75 cm (base); 190 cm (total height with base).

Large marble sculpture representing a flower girl dressed in ancient Greek style, harmonious and Mediterranean canon. The lady carries a basket with flowers and walks forward in a determined attitude. By the nobility that emanates from her forms and the harmony of her features, she seems to evoke a Greco-Roman goddess, achieving a peculiar synthesis between tradition and modernity. The subject matter and the exquisite way of working the marble fully correspond to the style of Dumaige, who worked in the spirit of academicism in marble, bronze and plaster, with many works referring to mythology or historical figures.

Henry Etienne Dumaige studied sculpture with Féuchère and Dumont. He exhibited his sculptures of groups, statues and busts at the Salon between 1863 and 1886. He is known primarily for his statuettes of dancers and French historical figures. He sculpted a large number of busts, groups and statuettes in marble, plaster and bronze. In 1864 he exhibited a bronze group entitled "L'âge d'or", "Hero", in 1864, "Retour des champs" in 1866, a marble bust of Moliere in 1872, a statuette entitled Francois Rabelais in terracotta in 1873, a marble statue for the town hall of Tours in 1880, "Camille Desmoulins" in plaster 1882, and "Patrie", a bronze in 1886. Various works were cast in bronze, in particular dancers, as well as works entitled, "Salome", and "Emerald", and also a grenadier from 1792 entitled "Après les combat", a reduction by Camille Desmoulins.