UP FOR SALE IS A VERY NICE LOOKING

FUMIERE & CO SMALL BRONZE BUST OF A 

FRENCH WW1 SOLDIER BY CHARLES EDOUARD RICHEFEU (1868-1945)

BASE MEASURES 2-1/2'' X 1-3/4'' . STANDS TALL AT 3-1/4'' .


Charles Édouard Richefeu (1868-1945) was a French sculptor. He was born on January 7, 1868, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Initially studying medicine, he later switched to law and became an advocate at the Paris court. Richefeu trained under sculptors Denys Puech and Raoul Verlet. His work primarily focused on military subjects.

Notable sculptures by Charles Édouard Richefeu include:

  1. Vive l’Empereur (1914): A bronze statue depicting a jubilant soldier (grognard) adorning the courtyard of the Hôtel des Invalides at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris.
  2. La Victoire en chantant (1918): A plaster model of a “poilu” (French infantryman) that was exhibited at the Salon des artistes français in 1919. It was later cast in bronze and iron by the Val d’Osne art foundry and appears on at least 47 war memorials in France1.
  3. Monument aux morts de Gennes (1920): A stone memorial column topped with a rooster, symbolizing France, and featuring a statue of a drum-playing poilu at its base1.

Richefeu’s work reflects his focus on military themes and his contribution to commemorating fallen soldiers through public monuments.



Fumière et Cie was part of Thiébaut Frères, a renowned French bronzier / foundry in the mid 19th century devoted to works of art. This distinguished company worked with famous sculptors and other bronziers like Barbedienne, Belleuse, DuBois, Carpeaux and d’Angers. They took part in many French exhibitions and created many historical monuments in and around Paris, including Saint Michael striking down the dragon (designed by Duret for the Saint-Michel’s fountain in Paris) and Napoleon I designed by Dumont for the Vendôme column. Others include: Gloria Victis by Mercié, a statue of Alexandre Dumas Père, a vase called Le Poème de la Vigne (currently in the San Francisco Museum), a statue depicting Charlemagne by Marquet brothers and a reduction of the Statue of Liberty made by Bartholdi which is now on Grenelle’s bridge in Paris. In 1898, Rodin signed a contract with this company regarding the casting of two of his works in different sizes: Saint John the Baptist and Triumphant youth.