Patinated bronze figurative lamp by Dumaige

This lamp is by Henry Étienne Dumaige, a leading French sculptor active during the latter decades of the 19^th Century. Dumaige exhibited at the Paris Salon several times throughout his life, and his pieces were included to great success in the Exposition Universelle of 1880.

The present piece, which often goes by the title ‘Family of Gardeners’, is a fine example of Dumaige’s work. The sculpture, which functions as a lamp, is wrought from finely patinated bronze. A woman, her face the image of repose and her body an expert example of contrapposto, holds her son gently in her arms, while her husband—his arm protectively draped over her shoulders—gazes at his son, who reaches towards his father. The quality of the casting is superb, with the folds of the figures’ clothing deftly rendered and accented by the masterful patination. The lamp is a charming example of late 19^th Century French sculpture, and a fine piece of period design.

The base is signed ‘H. Dumaige.’