Masterfully 19th century bronze sculpture by Evgeny Naps, signed in Russian and dated 1882.

Fully identical figures by the same author arrived by different international auction houses results to 20000 Euro (see additional photos).

The author was self-taught sculptor, painter, draftsman and art restorer. From a family of Baltic Germans. Worked in St. Petersburg. He was engaged in the restoration of fine porcelain sculpture and bronze sculptures to antique dealers and collectors. Performed smaller variations of works by Russian sculptors for metropolitan bronze foundry firms. In the year 1878 in foundry workshop Smirnova on reduced by Naps model was cast the bust of Alexander Suvorov.At the early years of carrier Evgeny Naps enjoyed scenes after E. Lansere, and generally was under his strong influence, as reflected in sculptural groups as "General m. d. Skobelev on horseback" (bronze), troika in winter (bronze), "Cossack on horseback" (bronze). The famous work of Naps - the sculpture group "Cart with three horses and five peasants moves across the bridge" (bronze), statuette «Plastun Sajkin on patrol "(bronze), two paired candlestick" Lamplighters "(bronze) and Inkwell "Woodcutter for lunch " (bronze)-widely reprinted Kasli and Kusin factories in the early 20th century. All the known work of Naps are evidence for his professional bronze foundry art.

There is a version that under the pseudonym "Naps" worked Eugene Lansere. Works of Naps cast on bronze factory Werfel, the competitor of the workshop Chopin, concluded with Lancere the Treaty of bonded long-term (as it turned out later - almost the entire life of the sculptor) and under his own name Lansere could not work with other foundry workshops . The basis for this assumption is the unity of style, modelling techniques, the scarcity of information about restorer Evgeny Naps, perpetual penniless multifamily Lansere and known propensity to mistification of his artistic environment.

Literature: price date base www.artnet.com; in Russian on-line: https://artchive.ru/artists/39065~Evgenij_Napshttp://www.shishkin-gallery.ru/artist_1058.html

Inscription: signed in Russian: "lepil Naps (in English: molded by Naps) and dated 1882.

Technique: bronze, black patina.

Measurements: unframed w 11" x h 7 1/2" (28 x 19 cm).

Condition: very good.