Paul Dubois The Florentine Singer

The Singer is one of Paul Dubois's most famous works. The model is exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.Influenced by his time in Italy, Paul Dubois achieved great success from the outset with refined works inspired by the Italian Renaissance. It was in this vein that he modeled the Florentine Singer, and with it won the Medal of Honor at the 1865 Salon. The enthusiasm was immense, and the sculpture, one of the most popular of the time, was produced in several sizes for nearly a century by the great publisher Barbedienne.
The young boy's slender and elegant silhouette, the smooth and slender volumes of his legs, contrast with the extraordinarily precise depiction of the details of his clothing and accessories: shoelaces, pleats in the breeches at the knees, buttons on the sleeves, the strings and keys of the instrument, and the chiseling of his hair. A slight sense of archaism is combined with a perfectly fine treatment. The silver plating applied to the bronze further accentuates the work's precious character, and one hesitates between sculpture and goldsmithing.
The first copy was purchased by Princess Mathilde, who held one of the most brilliant artistic and literary salons during the Second Empire. This work was cast by Barbedienne.