A MATCHED PAIR OF FRENCH PATINATED BRONZE BUSTS ENTITLED 'LE RIEUR NAPOLITAIN' AND 'L'ESPIEGLE'

While Carpeaux's 1863 depiction of Le rieur Napolitain was not intentionally paired with the present bust-length portrait of L'Espièle, the coupling of this mischievous pair is rather fitting. The subject of the female bust was the capricious fourteen-year-old daughter of Carpeaux's good friend, Jean-Baptiste Fouchart, with whom Carpeaux became obsessed during a visit to the family's home in 1860. Anna Fouchart would later serve as the inspiration for other works, including La rieuse aux roses (lot 68).