The Glorified Child, Allegory Of Triumph In The Ancient Style.

An important terracotta sculpture group, created in a 19th-century academic workshop around 1850–1875, representing an allegory of triumph inspired by antiquity. This monumental work depicts three children engaged in a powerfully expressive, ascending composition. The child at the top, treated as the central figure, is portrayed in a glorified pose: his arm raised in a gesture of victory and acclamation, his torso exposed, draped in a garment reminiscent of a Roman toga. His confident and noble bearing deliberately evokes ancient representations of triumphant heroes or leaders, transposed here into the idealized world of childhood. The crouching child who carries him on his shoulders embodies effort and elevation: his robust, taut body suggests the movement of rising and fully participates in the vertical dynamism of the composition. In the background, a third figure, probably female, draped in classical style, accompanies and supports the ascent with a gesture of support, reinforcing the allegorical interpretation of the scene as a collective celebration of glory. By transposing the heroic codes of Antiquity into a childlike subject, the sculptor fully embraces the neo-classical and academic tradition of the late 19th century, where the themes of glory, victory, and apotheosis are softened by the grace and innocence of youthful figures. The quality of execution is remarkable. The faces are finely modeled and nuanced, with distinct and vibrant expressions; the full, unhollowed eyelids and idealized volumes evoke classical vocabulary. The hair is rendered in supple, flowing masses, without mechanical repetition. The hands and feet, with their remarkable anatomical accuracy, bear witness to the work of a seasoned sculptor, attentive to volume, support, and the naturalness of gestures. The ample, structured drapery is perfectly suited to the material and demonstrates a complete mastery of terracotta technique, both in the modeling and in anticipating the constraints of firing. The surface retains a magnificent, soft, matte patina, revealing the fineness of the grain and the subtle traces of handwork. The underside of the sculpture reveals an ancient internal structure, with compartmentalized recesses, modeled partitions, reworked with slip, and non-standardized metal armatures, characteristic of a monumental terracotta piece created in a workshop. These elements preclude any industrial production or mass production and confirm the original and unique nature of the work. Unsigned, unpublished, and currently uncatalogued, this sculpture appears to be a work intended for exhibition—a studio model, a Salon piece, or a private commission—and is now a rare find, both for its subject matter and its size and quality of execution. Dimensions: Height: 90 cm Width: 60 cm Depth: 40 cm Estimated weight: approximately 40 to 50 kg