Style Louis XV / Ref.13869

Benoît, dit Bénédict ROUGELET, The Little Trickster (Le Petit Malin), after 1880

This sculpture, whose pattern was exhibited at the Salon in 1880, was executed by Bénédict Rougelet.

Benoît, known as Bénédict Rougelet (Tournus, 1834-Ivry-sur-Seine, 1894), studied sculpture in Tournus, then in Lyon and Paris, where he was a student of Francisque Duret at the École des Beaux-Arts. He was particularly active in the second half of the 19^th century. He exhibited his works at almost all Salons in 1868, and between 1874 and 1894, and was awarded several times. The marble model of his sculpture entitled “Le Petit Malin” was presented to the public at the Salon of 1880 (at number 6652), where the artist received a medal. It depicts a mischievous putto, pointing his finger at the viewer (the next victim of his arrows?), with one hand, while hiding the other hand, which holds his bow, behind his back; a quiver full of arrows lies on the ground. The figure is full of movement: one of his feet extends beyond the terrace, giving his posture a certain instability, while the asymmetry of the arms and the drape covering his nudity at the back accentuate this effect. The statue reflects the taste of the 18^th century, especially during the reign of Louis XV, for light subjects. “L’Amour menaçant”, a sculpture executed by Étienne-Maurice Falconet around 1757, fits perfectly into this vein. He probably inspired the artist for “Le Petit Malin”: the hand games of the putti are similar, and in both cases, Love addresses the viewer before hurting another victim with his arrows. Following the success of the statue, “Le Petit Malin” had several editions in marble and bronze at the end of the 19^th century.