Pair of Bronze Character Soldiers with Rifles

PAIR of French Victorian bronze figures with dark green patina of cupids with musical instruments on round shaped base

PAIR of English Victorian bronze figures of 19th Century men playing sports with paddles (signed L. GUILLEMIN)

PAIR of French Charles X bronze dore figures playing musical instruments on square shaped rouge pedestal bases having a gilt wreath. (mid 19th Cent)

PAIR of French Louis XV style (19th Cent) bronze figures of cupids with hoof feet playing instruments on rouge marble base

Late 19th century pair of bronze French soldiers by Etienne Henri Dumaige. Representing two separate moments in the French Revolution, the uprisi...

A pair of French bronze figures entitled 'Avant le combat' and 'Apres le combat' Cast from the models by Etienne-Henri Dumaige, last qua...

A pair of French bronze figures entitled 'Avant le combat' and 'Apres le combat' Cast from the models by Etienne-Henri Dumaige, last qua...

Standing over 2 feet tall, these high quality bronze statues depict soldiers during the French revolutionary wars. They are labeled and signed Dumaige (French sculptor, Etienne-Henry Dumaige 1830-1888). The statues show incredible detail, excellent proportion, and retain their original, rich, brown patina, which is still in remarkable condition. Each solider has a raised brass placard on the front of the 1 ½” thick square bases: one reads Avant le combat volontaire de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C, while the other is titled “Apres le combat grenadier de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C.”. The designation “H.C.” stands for Hors concours (“standout”), which is used for artwork that is excluded from competition because it has already claimed top honors elsewhere. Avant, meaning “before” shows our soldier as a volunteer drummer. Drums were used on the battlefield not only to provide cadence for the soldiers, but also to issue orders based on the percussion pattern. Here, our soldier’s drum is attached to a harness that runs across his right shoulder. Both hands are gripping the frame of the drum, while there is a drumstick in his left hand. There is a satchel on the soldier’s back as he stands on grass with a small wood fence behind him. Our soldier has a mustache with long braided hair in the back. He is wearing a fluted bicorne with a pomme tuft and has earrings in both ears. His jacket is knee-length in the back, with tasseled epaulets on the shoulders. Apres, meaning “after”, depicts the man as a grenadier, enjoying tobacco after a conflict. The grenadier...