Style Napoleon III / Ref.13607

René ROZET « Young musician with a mandolin », statuary marble sculpture, late 19th century

This statuary marble sculpture was made in the last decades of the 19th century by the French sculptor René Rozet.

Used to sculpt bust portraits, he represents here a young musician from the late medieval period as indicates his haircut and his outfit. Introducing the notion of movement in our bust, the young musician is represented with his body turned toward the right, while his head is turned toward the left. He holds in left gloved hand sheet of paper, a quill and a mandolin leaning against his other arm, which is making a wide movement toward the exterior, thus letting the spectator see the delicacy of his naked hand.
As indicates the French newspaper, Le Matin in his publication of the 5th of February, 1905, our sculptor « has understood that it is by grinding and melting all the souvenirs by which is spirit has been impressed, that the artist makes his work, mixing unconsciously and not as a plagiarist, what dictates his imagination with what has stroke his artistic feeling in the past works. »
Our bust resting on a steps base, is a beautiful example of this restyled past, inspiring the artists of the late 19th century.

René Rozet (1858-1939) is an important and prolific artist of the late 19th century and the early 20th century. He was the student of the Pierre Jules Cavelier and Aimé Millet. He participates very regularly in the Salon des Artistes français between 1876 and 1912 where he presents an important number of plaster and marble portraits. Noticed for his talent by the maison Christofle, he proposes to the silver house many models made next in massive silver, receiving always praised from the contemporary critics. We can for instance speak about an extraordinary mirror depicting the theme of Echo and Narcissus exhibited a first time during the World Fair of 1900, then in the Salon of 1902. Or even, a silver-gilt surtout on the “Air and Water” theme, exhibited the same year.
At the same time, he also starts to become bisque sculptor by working for the Manufacture de Sèvres between 1906 and 1923. Thanks to his incredible work, he wins many rewards, especially the First medal in the Salon, two prices during the 1900 World fair, which makes him a unique case, and finally the Légion d’Honneur in 1912.
He’s also the father of Fanny Rozet (1881-1958), first female sculptor to be accepted in the Ecole des Beaux Arts of Paris in 1896 and student of Laurent Marqueste (1848-1920).

Nevertheless, only few of the many marble busts he made during his career and exhibited in the Salon have been conserved until today. Of his sculpture, independent of other important names, only four bronze bas-reliefs are conserved in the musée d’Orsay in Paris and a marble sculpture untitled « Bonsoir maman » is conserved in the musée des Beaux-Arts of Lyon.