Figaro Painted by hand in oil, brushstroke by brushstroke

One of the leading sculptors of Second Empire France (1852-70), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux produced many portrait busts for the imperial family, as well as architectural sculpture for churches and public monuments, including the Paris Opéra. Carpeaux infused his work with emotional expressiveness, a radical artistic choice at the time. This bronze Figaro, the character from Beaumarchais’ late eighteenth-century plays Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville), Le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) and La Mère Coupable (The Guilty Mother) was one of Carpeaux’s last works before his death. In 1873, Le Figaro, Paris’ leading newspaper, asked Carpeaux to judge submissions for a sculpture to adorn the façade of their building. This artistic challenge inspired Carpeaux to create his own version of the comedic actor, which is notable for its graceful depiction of movement. The carefully modeled Figaro, richly dressed in a finely embroidered ensemble, turns to one side with a knowing smile. His left finger is raised to address the viewer, or perhaps to interact with another character on an imaginary stage. He holds a quill in his right hand, perhaps a reference to Beaumarchais’ authorship of the character or to the power of writing to advance ideas, the philosophy adopted by Le Figaro.