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92 - A
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Based on Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s “Why Be Born a Slave”. Res…
See original version (French)
92 - A
-
Based on Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s “Why Be Born a Slave”. Res…
See original version (French)
Estimate €60 - €80
Voluntary lot
Description
Based on Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s “Why Be Born a Slave”. Resin bust with a terracotta finish. Hand-patinated reproduction. Mould cast from an impression of the original work. Reproduction from the Louvre Museum. Height: 35 cm.
A bit of history: In 1867, Carpeaux received a commission from the City of Paris for the Fountain of the Observatory, with the subject matter dictated: the four cardinal points. He came up with the idea of figures spinning round on their own axes whilst thinking about the Earth’s rotation, which led him to evoke the different ethnic groups that inhabit it.
Whilst working on the studies for the fountain, he created the busts of ‘the Negress’, ‘the Chinese woman’ and ‘the European woman’. The marble bust of "Why be born a slave?" or "The Captive Negress", exhibited at the 1869 Salon, was acquired by the Emperor and placed at the Château de Saint-Cloud
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
IN PREPARATION - CLASSIC SALES: JEWELLERY - FASHION - FURNITURE - DESIGN
Auction location
Auction time
06/20/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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