The Genius of Dance – Large bronze sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827–1875)

Three years after surprisingly winning the construction project for the Opera House that now bears his name, Charles Garnier approached his former colleague from the Petite-École and now Prix de Rome winner, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, with the task of creating one of the four large sculptures intended to adorn the façade of the Palais Garnier. After various projects and numerous modifications, Carpeaux began the stone creation of The Dance in 1868.
His intention was to represent the very essence of dance: movement, joy, and exuberance. This sculpture immediately stood out from the other, more classical compositions on the façade. The Genius of the Dance, the central figure of the ensemble, quickly became an icon of this monumental work.
Undecided about the gender of the Genius of the Dance, Carpeaux drew inspiration from Sébastien Visat, a twenty-year-old carpenter, for the slenderness and healthy musculature of the body. As for the Genie's radiant face, he borrowed its dazzling smile from Princess Hélène de Racowitza. Through this unique combination, Carpeaux created a figure brimming with life and delicacy, achieving one of the most brilliant syntheses of his career.
The Genie is depicted in a dynamic pose, whirling around, arms raised in a triumphant flourish, holding a tambourine, a symbol of dance and celebration. His playful expression and hair flowing in the wind convey a free and exalted movement, contrasting with the more rigid canons of Second Empire academic sculpture.
When it was unveiled to the public on July 27, 1869, the sculpture sparked immediate controversy. The press raged against this frenzied farandole of nude bodies, deeming it indecent and offensive to public decency. A month later, the controversy continued unabated, and a disgruntled passerby threw a bottle of ink at the sculpture, leaving a visible mark on the stone.
This rejection deeply hurt Carpeaux. When Napoleon III, yielding to public opinion, considered removing the work, Carpeaux was devastated. However, the outbreak of World War I prevented the statue's removal, thus saving this masterful work from premature demise.
This print bears the seal of the Syndicat des Fabricants de Bronze, a prestigious distinction that allows this casting to be dated between 1909 and 1911. In 1909, Albert Susse was elected president of the Syndicat and worked to establish legislation protecting artistic bronze, thus guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of artistic productions. He joined his son Jacques in 1904, then retired in 1911, which marks precisely the period of this casting. This seal attests not only to the provenance and care taken over this edition, but also to its exceptional quality.
This bronze, measuring 105.5 cm, represents the largest version of the reproductions of The Genius of the Dance. Its monumental size makes it an exceptional and rare piece, produced in very small numbers. Most reductions of this sculpture are significantly smaller, making this edition particularly sought after by collectors and museum institutions. This scale allows for a full appreciation of the details of the modeling, the expressiveness of the face, and the virtuosity of the drapery, which recall the power of the original stone version. The original stone work still stands on the façade of the Opéra Garnier in Paris, and several bronze and plaster copies are held in prestigious museum collections: the Musée d'Orsay, the Petit Palais, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).
Today, The Dancing Genius is considered one of the masterpieces of 19th-century sculpture, symbolizing the expression of movement and vitality. Its influence is visible in Art Nouveau and Symbolist sculpture, and even prefigures the expressiveness of Rodin's works.

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