Bronze Figure Of A Neapolitan Fisherman In The Manner Of François Rude

French bronze figurine from the end of the 19th century in the style of François Rude of a Neapolitan fisherman seated with his nets playing with a lobster with a reed in his hand on naturalistic oval base, brown patina, unsigned, 21cm high François Rude was the first to explore the theme of the Neapolitan fisherman, with his “Shell Fisherman” and this drawing is remarkably similar to the current bronze. It depicts the boy, sitting a little awkwardly on his net, wearing the same hat and sporting the same amused expression. It was Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, however, who became famous for the repeated use of the theme, using the same subject matter to refine his own interpretation of the work of Rude and the Italian Renaissance masters he studied during his stay at the Villa Medici.