Portrait Of The Sculptor Maniglier By The Painter Felix-august Clément (1826-1888)

Clément was a student of the neoclassical painter Michel Martin Drolling (Prix de Rome in 1810) and of François-Édouard Picot (second Grand Prix de Rome in 1811). He himself received the coveted prize in 1856 for his painting "The Return of Young Tobie", today kept at the Musée d'Orsay where there is also his portrait of the diplomat Girard de Rialle. Another known portrait of Clément is that of Frédéric Mistral. Our portrait represents the sculptor Henri-Charles Maniglier (1826-1901). He resided at the Villa Medici from 1857-1861. It was in 1857 that Clément painted the bust portrait of Maniglier. The place and date are specified under the dedication "To my friend Mainglier" Apart from its value as a painting of great pictorial quality, this portrait of a resident - sculptor painted by a resident - painter is at the same time an evocation of artistic and relational life at the Academie de France in Rome around the years 1850-60. Maniglier's light face and his bright white scarf stand out against a dark background and contrast with the dark mass of his hair and mustache. The oval bust portrait stands out against the golden background of the rectangular canvas. After cleaning and invisible restoration at the front by a professional restorer, the painting is in excellent condition. It would also deserve its place in the Musée d'Orsay.