Grape Harvester Improvising On A Comic Subject , Francisque Joseph Duret (1804 - 1865)

Grape picker improvising on a comic subject (Memories of Naples) - 1838

Bronze proof representing a young Neapolitan man entitled "IMPROVVISATOR" by Francisque Joseph Duret .
"The Improvvisator" figure with a jovial expression , playing the Mandolin near a barrel adorned with vine branches .
Duret finds his inspiration in Classical Antiquity and the Florentine Renaissance but also in his travels to Naples , for the creation of a large number of his works .
Bronze with bronze patina, titled "Improvvisator" , on the front of the terrace .
Signature of the sculptor "Duret", in hollow, on the richly decorated barrel .
Mention "Medal of Honor" , "Salon des beaux - arts" .
Period second half of the 19th century .
Very good state of preservation and patina .

FRANCISQUE JOSEPH DURET (1804 - 1865) 

Duret was a French sculptor , born October 19, 1804 in Paris where he died May 26 , 1865 .
A pupil of his father , François Joseph , and of Bosio , he obtained in 1823 , jointly with Augustin Dumont , the First Prize of Rome , for the bas - relief "Pain of Evandre on the body of his son Pallas" .
In 1824 , he then left for the Villa Medici in Rome .

From Rome , in 1831 , he made his first submissions to the Salon , in particular "Mercury inventing the lyre", which was purchased by the king .
He distinguished himself in 1833 , presenting at the Salon his "Fisherman dancing the tarantella", produced the previous year .
His notoriety allows him to obtain public commissions for the Louvre , the Palais de Justice , the Stock Exchange , the Paris City Hall , the French Theater… as well as for Parisian churches .
Francisque - Joseph Duret realizes "Saint Michel slaying the Dragon" for the fountain Saint - Michel in Paris .
He will present at the Salon of 1839 , "The Harvester improvising on a comic subject (Memory of Naples)" .
(The edition of the Louvre melted after the model of 1839 , was presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1855) . 

He entered the Institute in 1843 , and became a professor at the School of Fine Arts from 1852 to 1863 .
His highly appreciated teaching led him to train many students , including Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux , Jules Dalou and Henri Chapu .
Francisque Duret died in Paris in 1865 , and rests with his son-in-law , the painter "Pierre Auguste Cot" .
He will leave behind a large number of works inspired by Classical Antiquity and the Florentine Renaissance .