A Pair of statues named Avant Le Combat and Apres Le Combat, signed by Dumaige

A handsome and most decorative true pair of French 19th century patinated Bronze and Rosa Sienna marble statues of Grenadier Guards, attributed to Étienne-Henri Dumaige. Each wonderf...

An impressive and true pair of late 19th century patinated bronze and sienna marble warrior statues. Each statue is raised on a curved sienna marble sup...

A pair of French bronze figures entitled 'Avant le combat' and 'Apres le combat' Cast from the models by Etienne-Henri Dumaige, last qua...

Standing over 2 feet tall, these high quality bronze statues depict soldiers during the French revolutionary wars. They are labeled and signed Dumaige (French sculptor, Etienne-Henry Dumaige 1830-1888). The statues show incredible detail, excellent proportion, and retain their original, rich, brown patina, which is still in remarkable condition. Each solider has a raised brass placard on the front of the 1 ½” thick square bases: one reads Avant le combat volontaire de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C, while the other is titled “Apres le combat grenadier de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C.”. The designation “H.C.” stands for Hors concours (“standout”), which is used for artwork that is excluded from competition because it has already claimed top honors elsewhere. Avant, meaning “before” shows our soldier as a volunteer drummer. Drums were used on the battlefield not only to provide cadence for the soldiers, but also to issue orders based on the percussion pattern. Here, our soldier’s drum is attached to a harness that runs across his right shoulder. Both hands are gripping the frame of the drum, while there is a drumstick in his left hand. There is a satchel on the soldier’s back as he stands on grass with a small wood fence behind him. Our soldier has a mustache with long braided hair in the back. He is wearing a fluted bicorne with a pomme tuft and has earrings in both ears. His jacket is knee-length in the back, with tasseled epaulets on the shoulders. Apres, meaning “after”, depicts the man as a grenadier, enjoying tobacco after a conflict. The grenadier...