catalog text
LOUIS HIOLIN
French, 1846-1910
"Aguador"
Patinated and Polychromed Bronze | signed to base "Hiolin" | cast circa early 20th century
Item # 311CSG30P-9
A little treasure, this Orientalist model depicts a serious and highly focused man carrying an iron jug of water over his shoulder. The sculpture is exquisitely cast after a model by the French sculptor Louis Hiolin and was made in two dimensions, this being the smaller version. The surface patina is quite fine with an overall medium-brown of several tones to differentiate the garment from the figure, his hat being polychromed in a ruby-red pigment over chemical patina while the jug on his shoulder is a nearly black chemical patina.
These French Orientalist studies of the Arab and African nations found a large collecting audience in France and England. There was a fascination with what seemed like a timeless and unchanging traditionalism in these non-Western communities that piqued the nostalgia of collectors. The same sentiment that drove collectors to acquire landscape scenes of rural farms and buccolic views of domestic animals in fields gave a deep well for artists like Marcel Debut to draw upon in preparing studies of the tribal communities of "The Orient". Much of the original material came from travel in Tunisia, which was easily accessible as a French colony and a favorite destination for painters and sculptors.
We have many of these wonderful models by Marcel Debut, Jean Didier Debut, Edouard Drouot, Emile Pinedo and Louis Hiolin available.
Measurements: 13 3/8" H x 3 7/8" W x 5" D
Condition Report:
A fine original patina with minor variation throughout, well-preserved and a brilliant ready-to-place presentation.