'Mignon', large bronze female figure by Aizelin and Barbedienne

The sculpture was designed by the famous French artist, Eugene-Antoine Aizelin. Aizelin was a well-known artist who showed his work at numerous exhibitions in the mid-late 19^th Century. This piece, of a ‘Mignon’, was exhibited as a plaster model at the Paris Salon of 1880. It was then cast into bronze and showcased at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, where it received a gold medal. Aizelin worked closely with the French bronzier, Ferdinand Barbedienne. Indeed, it was the Barbedienne foundry who cast this piece.

The base of the sculpture is titled ‘MIGNON’, and it is signed and dated to the side, ‘E. Aizelin. 1880’. This is accompanied by the manufacturer’s signature, ‘F. Barbedienne, Foundeur Paris’, and further reduction stamp for A. Collas.

‘Mignon’ depicts a young, beautiful woman seated on a wooden chest. She rests her left hand on the chest, and uses her right to lift her left knee up slightly. He right leg is extended in front of her, and a mandolin lies at her feet, propped up on the chest.The woman is barefooted, and wears a long skirt and puff-sleeved shirt, with a bodice over the top. Her long hair falls down her back, partially covered by a headscarf. Her expression is one of youthful innocence.

A light brown coloured patina has been applied to the bronze, giving the piece a warm finish.