Francois Villon - After Jean François Marie Etcheto - Bronze XIX

Magnificent full-length portrait of the late medieval French poet Francois Villon (1431-1463) after an original by the Spanish-born sculptor Jean François Marie Etcheto (1853-1889). The poet is represented as a young man in medieval costume, holding a book and a quill under one arm, his other hand rests on a short dagger at his waist while at his feet is a lute and a broken chain. Etcheto is commissioned by the town hall of Paris to create this sculpture for the square Monge, current square Paul Langevin (Paris 5th).
The monument will be inaugurated in 1883. A plaster model is presented at the Salon of 1881 and the bronze ordered from the founder Thiébaut frères in 1882. The statue is deposited in 1942 but would have been kept according to Cecilie Champy-Vinas and the original bronze found is erected in Champigny-sur-Marne in 1950 where it is still.

Bronze with nuanced brown patina.
Signed on the embankment "Etcheto".
Foundry brand for Thiébaut Frères.

Height 54cm