Important and majestic bronze bust with brown patina, representing an allegory of hope, by the sculptor Félix Pierre Richard (1848-1912).
The woman is depicted with her head slightly turned, looking peacefully towards the horizon.
An anchor, a symbol of hope, rests on his head.
She wears a crossover dress, revealing her neckline, which evokes feminine sensuality. The folds of the drape enhance the sophisticated side of the dress.
The ship "Hope" usually uses the anchor as its symbol, because this mass that holds the boat steady despite the turbulent sea symbolizes stability and assurance. This virtue allows the wavering individual to escape the upheavals of existence. The shape of the anchor also links it to the cross.
Bust titled “ESPÉRANCE Salon Des Beaux-Arts”, in a gilded bronze cartouche.
Signature of the sculptor “F.Richard” in hollow, on the back of the bust.
Old edition sculpture, second part of the period XIXth century.
Perfect state of conservation and patina.

Dimensions: 67 cm x 45 cm x 17.5 cm

Félix Pierre Richard (1848-1912)

Felix Pierre Richard was a French sculptor, born in La Tronche, near Grenoble, on November 28, 1848.

He began his apprenticeship with the sculptors François Jouffroy (1806-1882) and Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875).
He exhibited in 1890 at the Universal Exhibition, where he received an “Honorable Mention”.
He is the author of the marble bust of “Monseigneur Laurencin”, in the church of La Tronche.

Known for his figurative sculptures in bronze and terracotta, he was particularly fond of representations of women.
Félix Pierre Richard rejects the constraints of the morals of his time and of realism in his female portraits, the often asymmetrical and offbeat composition aims to glorify the "Woman".
He represents them in extremely idealized, feminine and seductive forms.

The colors of his patinas and the ornamentation of his works are often inspired by flora and fauna.