Hippolyte-François Moreau

Overall in good condition, with the usual traces of dirt to surface. Chips to bottom edge of circular marble base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present sculpture is drawn after Bouguereau's L'Amour et Psyché, enfants, made circa 1889.  Resting in a realm of bright, white clouds against a pale blue sky, a feather-winged boy embraces a girl with delicate butterfly wings. While devoid of an explicit narrative, the cherubic pair are easily recognizable as Cupid (L'amour) and Pysche. From its first telling by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century, the myth of Psyche, the beautiful princess who inspired Venus' jealousy, and Cupid, the goddess' son sent to turn her into a monster, was a well known tale of immortal, indomitable love. Through the 1880s and 1890s Bouguereau used the narrative as a central motif in his self-titled Fantasies series.

Hippolyte was the brother of sculptors Mathurin and Auguste. He exhibited his first work at the Salon in 1859 and focused throughout his long career on charming allegorical figures depicting young women and children.