Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Sotheby's London, The Orientalist Sale, 13 June 2006, lot 24

Sotheby's London, 19th and 20th Century Sculpture, 12 July 2007, lot 25

Carrier Belleuse's busts were among some of his most remarkable works: both portraiture and allegorical subjects. Perhaps in his allegorical subjects, where his imagination could have free reign, his virtuosity is showcased fully. The present bust of an Algerian woman, with its soft features and serene smile, is a beautiful example of his skill, and compares closely to some of his well-known allegorical subjects, such as the bust of Alsace. 

The bust is a rare depiction of an Orientalist subject in Carrier-Belleuse's extensive oeuvre. Heavily romanticised and reminiscent of allegorical models such as Le Reveil, the present bust forms a contrast to the work of ethnographic sculptors such as Charles Henri Joseph Cordier (1827-1905).

RELATED LITERATURE

S. Lami, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de L'école Française, Paris, 1914, p. 284