Sculpture - Standing Bull , Louis Vidal (1831-1892) - Bronze

Bronze proof with brown patina , representing a standing bull , by the sculptor Louis Vidal (1831-1892) .
This sculpture is a major work of the artist , it was made by Louis Vidal being blind .
Famous animal sculptor , Louis Vidal , known as "Vidal the blind" , or "Vidal-Navatel" , was visually impaired from a very young age , before becoming blind around 1853 , he then replaced sight with touch to model his sculptures .
Bronze resting on a naturalist terrace bearing the sculptor's signature .
Sculpture of old edition , period second part of the 19th century .
Perfect state of conservation and patina .

Dimensions : 16 cm x 22.2 cm

Louis Vidal (1831-1892)

Louis Vidal , known as "Vidal the Blind" or "Vidal-Navatel" is a famous French animal sculptor .

Born on December 6 , 1831 in Nîmes , he grew up in a family of artists , having as stepfather the painter "Alexandre Colin" who married his mother for the second time and as half-brother Paul-Alfred Colin .

He began his training with anatomy courses , before becoming blind in 1853 , which prevented him from continuing in this direction .
He then decided to turn to sculpture .
He studied with the animal sculptors "Antoine-Louis Barye" and "Pierre Louis Rouillard" and became an animal sculptor himself by replacing sight with touch .
 Louis Vidal remains known for being the author of a sculpture representing a "Roaring Lion" , as well as that of a bronze "Bull" , given by the State to the Museum of Fine Arts in Nîmes in 1867 .
Louis Vidal worked in particular with Alfred Barye , son of his master Antoine-Louis Barye .

The artist became a professor of modeling in 1888 at the Braille School in Paris .
His portrait by the photographer "Étienne Carjat" , dating from 1865 , acquired by the National Museums in 1986 , is kept in Paris at the Museum of Orsay .
Louis Vidal died on May 9 , 1892 at the Quinze-Vingts hospital , in Paris .