Etienne Mélingue, Hébé (circa 1852)

ÉTIENNE MÉLINGUE (Caen 1807 - Paris 1875)
Hébé
Circa 1852
Cast with a layer of copper then a black-green patina - perhaps an early example of electroplating
H. 42 cm
Titled: HEBE
Signed: Melingué
Foundry mark: BOI
Some verdigris on the surface

This example, with a provenance of an auction house in Nantes, is perhaps one of the six statuettes offered by the sculptor-comedian Étienne Mélingue as the prizes of a raffle organised on the occasion of the last performance of the play “Benvenuto” at the Théâtre de Nantes in 1852. The play was based on the life of the Italian sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, and every evening on stage Melingué modeled a figure of Hebe. In 1853 Melingué exhibited a bronze version of Hébé at the Paris Salon. Melingué's Hébé is an important cultural icon for both sculpture and the theatre in the 19th century.