PAUL LOUIS EMILE LOISEAU-ROUSSEAU | Bust of Salem

white marble and bronze, dark brown patina ; on a stand and a later pilastersigned and dated P. Loiseau Rousseau 1897

Yves Saint Laurent - Pierre Bergé Collection, rue de Babylone

The bust in overall good condition with a few dark natural inclusions and rust stains to the marble at several places; minor surface dirt in the crevices consistent with age and handling. A few minor chips and lack to the lower edges of the bust. The surface of the marble appears to be slightly weathered due to outside exposure.The bronze head with some vert de gris to the face at several places, in particular to the nose tip, with some minor wear to the surface. The dark brown patina of the face may have been slightly retouched. Very attractive marble in good condition overall.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Decorated several time at the Salon of the Société nationale des beaux-arts, Loiseau-Rousseau received a gold medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle and was made Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur the following year. If his corpus also includes animalier bronzes, Medieval and Renaissance subjects, it is particularly thought after for Oriental themes inspired by North Africa. In 1892, a travel grant from the Conseil Supérieur des Beaux-Arts, allowed him to discover this continent for the first time. The following year, Loiseau-Rousseau took part in the Exposition des peintres orientalistes français. Since his first exhibition at the Salon in 1886, he favoured polychrome associations, notably with bronze and marble. In 1897, he exhibited a bust of the same model as presented here, entitled Salem, Nègre du Soudan (Museum of Picardy, Amiens). Between 1898 and 1910, he exhibited three other marble and bronze middle Eastern figures.

Loiseau-Rousseau's anthropological consideration of African people and his use of polychromy in sculpture, is a double heritage from Charles Cordier (1827-1905) whose bust Nègre du Soudan (exhibited at the 1857 Salon), announced a new aesthetic (Musée d'Orsay, inv. no. RF 2997).