The 19th-century French painter and sculptor, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875), was born in Valenciennes. His father was a stonemason and his mother a lace maker. He became close to the imperial family of the Second Empire through Napoleon III's cousin, Mathilde. His best-known works executed for the regime include the famous (and charming) sculpture of the Prince imperial and his dog Nero and his painting of a costume ball at the Tuileries Palace.
Both these works feature in this exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay, which is the first of its kind since 1975 devoted to the work of this “sculptor of smiling subjects, painter of movement, outstanding portraitist, familiar artist of the Cour des Tuileries, attentive observer of the realities of street life and sensitive admirer of Michelangelo”. Whilst he was not the imperial couple's official sculptor, Carpeaux was a renowned artist for his time and a pioneer of the art industry.
More details can be found on the museum website.
Langue(s) : French, English