Le fleuriste et Le boucher: A pair of bronze figures, Napoleon Jacques, probably cast by Clodt, St Petersburg, circa 1860

dark brown patina, both inscribed 'N. Jacques'

The florist in excellent condition. The butcher with left arm slightly loose at the joint. His palette with replaced pin.
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The history of pre-Revolution Russia is, often enough, the story of foreign migrants who grasp the culture and develop the arts with more precision and panache than the locals. From Catherine the Great (who was German) to Carl Fabergé (ethnically Danish and French) and his Scandinavian craftsmen (three quarters of Fabergé employees were either Finns or Swedes), the Russia of centuries past benefited greatly from imported expertise coupled with an outsider’s eye. Napoléon Jacques (1804-1876) fits perfectly within this tradition.

The sculptor was born in Paris and moved to St Petersburg in his late twenties to pursue professional development in a burgeoning art market. Before departing back to France in 1858, his artistic contribution blossomed into an entire genre. After completing the monument to Emperor Peter I in Kronstadt, about twenty miles west of St Petersburg, Jacques focused his attention away from Classicism and toward Russian folk culture.

He was the first sculptor to depict the people of Russia in their traditional garments, highlighting the different ethnicities (Cossacks, Cherkessians, Yakuts, Caucasians) and capturing their spirit through delicate detail. In the hands of Napoléon Jacques, the smooth, gloried heroes of classical sculpture gave way to quotidian characters wearing creased robes and performing manual tasks. In this respect, he was the direct precursor of Grachev, Lieberich and Lansere, who developed this style until it became in great demand.

The defining feature of Napoléon Jacques’ Russian tradesmen is their confidence. They are not myths, symbols or fictions. Their dignity rests on their labour—what they do; not what they represent. The Florist and The Butcher may be carrying heavy loads on their heads and shoulders, but their posture is poised, loose and relaxed. Each looks comfortable inside his own skin. Each projects stillness and strength.

The statues were almost certainly cast by Peter Clodt (1805-1867), who also cast Jacques’ monument to Peter the Great, at his foundry. Among Clodt’s most famous works is the monument to I.A. Krylov (the first such statue erected to celebrate a Russian poet), the equestrian monument to Emperor Nicholas I (who famously praised Clodt’s talent for sculpting horses), and the quadriga (chariot drawn by four horses) above the portico of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.  Clodt's foundry did not use a mark.