CLAUDIUS MARIOTON | WATER NYMPH

P. Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Atglen, 1994, p. 457-8

The elder brother of the sculptor Eugène Marioton and the painter Jean Alfred Marioton, Claudius Marioton was a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon from 1873 until his death, displaying busts, medallions and several genre sculptures. He obtained an honourable mention in 1879 and subsequently won several medals in the Salon. He further exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 and 1900, and became a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1895.

The present Water Nymph combines an elegant figure with an intricate base composed of several different stones. Marioton was particularly praised for skill in combining bronzes with other materials, and the present gilt bronze is a prime example. Stamped 'artist proof', there is a possibility the statue may have been owned by the sculptor himself.