Félix Charpentier - The Song, Bronze

Bronze sculpture with brown patina depicting a young woman singing. The piece is titled “La Chanson” and is signed on the base by Félix Charpentier. It was cast by Emile Colin. Early 20th century.

Maurice Félix Charpentier, born in 1858 in Bollène and deceased in 1924 in Paris, was a renowned French sculptor. He trained at the School of Fine Arts in Avignon and later in Paris in the studios of Jules Cavelier and Amédée Doublemard. From 1879, he regularly exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français. In 1888, he married Léa Lucas, one of his models, and in 1897 built a secondary residence in Chassant (Eure-et-Loir), where he served as mayor from 1900 to 1908. His career gained momentum with prestigious accolades: a silver medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, and an honorary medal in 1893 for Les Lutteurs, a work acquired by the State. In 1899, he received a grand gold medal in Vienna. He was knighted and later promoted to officer of the Legion of Honour. Charpentier created over 240 works, including numerous busts and war memorials, commissioned after World War I, especially in Eure-et-Loir, Provence, and other regions. He also sculpted decorations for the Gare de Lyon and the Grand Palais in Paris. His works are held in several museums and public gardens. In 2022, his villa in Chassant was awarded the “Maison des Illustres” label.

Emile Colin worked during the second half of the 19th century for many renowned artists such as Carrier-Belleuse, Feuchère, Fratin, Pradier, Théodore Rivière, Mathurin Moreau, Maindron, Charpentier, and others. At the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, in addition to sculptures, he exhibited a bronze clock and marble vases decorated with bronze. The Colin foundry was located at 29 rue de Sévigné in 1843, and later at 17 rue des Tournelles from 1914 onward. Around 1930, it also operated a retail store at 12 avenue Victor-Emmanuel III.