Paul And Virginie At The Cradle, After Antoine-denis Chaudet (1763–1810)

Rare bronze with green patina, after Antoine-Denis Chaudet (1763–1810), depicting Paul et Virginie au berceau.

The original plaster model was exhibited at the Salon of 1795 and was subsequently commissioned in marble by the Société des Amis des Arts. Unlike other works by Chaudet that were widely reproduced during the 19th century, Paul et Virginie au berceau appears to have had a particularly limited production.

This bronze is a posthumous cast produced circa 1834 by the prestigious firm Soyer et Ingé. It may be a unique cast and is probably the bronze exhibited by the firm at the 1834 Exposition des produits de l’industrie française. The Journal des débats of 30 May 1834 specifically mentions among the works exhibited by Soyer et Ingé the group Paul et Virginie au berceau, par Chaudet.

Following the bankruptcy of Soyer et Ingé, a Paul et Virginie, par Chodet reappeared in the firm’s sale catalogues in 1841, with the same distinctive misspelling of the sculptor’s name found on this bronze: “Chodet”.

The work reveals a more intimate and particularly rare aspect of the great Neoclassical sculptor’s oeuvre. Inspired by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s celebrated novel, it also evokes the personal grief of Antoine-Denis Chaudet and his wife, the painter Jeanne-Élisabeth Chaudet, following the loss of their daughter.

Bronze with green patina
Signed “Chodet” on the drapery
Cast by Soyer et Ingé, circa 1834
H. 24.5 × W. 28.9 × D. 17.4 cm

Probable provenance: Exposition des produits de l’industrie française, Paris, 1834; sale of the Soyer et Ingé manufactory, October 1841, lot 45.

A comprehensive study by Cabinet Lacroix-Jeannest accompanies the work.