Provenance

Prince Napoléon Victor Jérôme Bonaparte

French, 1826 - 1926

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A smiling boy kneels and holds a conch shell to his ear in this freestanding, white marble sculpture. In this photograph, he faces us as he twists his upper body to our right and leans forward with both hands raised to hold the shell next to his left ear, on our right, with delicate fingers. He is nude except for the long knit cap that flops to the left side of his head. He has thick wavy hair, a wide nose, and eyes that cut to our right as he grins. His right knee, closer to us, rests on an octagonal base carved with ripples on its surface, and his other foot is planted next to that knee. The base is edged with molding and coves.
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Neapolitan Fisherboy (Pêcheur napolitain à la coquille), 1857-after 1861, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1943.4.89

Neapolitan Fisherboy (Pêcheur napolitain à la coquille)

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux · 1857-after 1861 · marble ·  Accession ID  1943.4.89

The sculpture depicts a young female figure in a seated position, with her legs crossed and her upper body leaning slightly to the left. Her left arm is raised above her head, and her right hand is positioned under his chin. She has curly hair and appears to hold a large conch shell on top of her head with her left hand. She looks up and to the right, smiling. She is nude, and she sits on a pile of objects associated with the ocean, such as shells, seaweed, and fish. The sculpture is made from a white material, and it sits on a hexagonal base made from the same material.
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Girl with a Shell (Jeune fille à la coquille), 1863-1867, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1943.4.90

Girl with a Shell (Jeune fille à la coquille)

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux · 1863-1867 · marble ·  Accession ID  1943.4.90