Jean Baptiste Carpeaux 1827- 1875 Le Trait d'Union Bronze Cast C Valsuani

Jean-Baptiste Carpeauxwas born in Valenciennes on May 11, 1827, into a modest working-class family.family.

In 1844, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts, wherewhere he studied under François Rude. In 1847, on the death of Victor Lietfriend and supporter Victor Liet, he returned to Valencienne, where heand received a pension from the Département du Nord.

Recruited by Napoleon III, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux finallyfinally enjoyed some success. In 1854, he was awarded the Grand Prixde Rome with the ronde-bosse "Hector holding his sonAstyanax". In Rome, where he went the following year, he proved to beunruly and soon came into conflict with the director of theof the Villa Medici, Jean-Victor Schnetz. He roamed the streets, drewand sculpted a beautiful Italian sculpture, "La Palombella", for example.Palombella". In hismovement and immediacy.

Periods of enthusiasm andperiods of enthusiasm and depression follow one another. This is the periodof the "Neapolitan Fisherman", followed by thesculpture "Ugolin and his children", the final workat the Villa Medici.

Returning to Paris in1862, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's reputation grew and commissionsorders poured in. He became the official sculptor to Napoleon IIIand in charge of the Imperial Prince's artistic education.

1869is the year of his marriage to Amélie de Montfort, who will give himthree children. It was also the year of completion of "LaDanse" commissioned by his friend Charles Garnier for the Paris Opéra.

From 1870 onwards, Carpeaux harbored a jealousya sickly jealousy of his wife that led to the couple's separationseparation in 1874. Under the negative influence of his parents, Carpeauxhe abandoned the running of his studio to his brother.

In 1875, after suffering agonizingly from bladder cancerbladder cancer that Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux died. Very attachedto his native Valenciennes, he bequeathed some of his works to theto the town's Musée des Beaux-Arts.