Carpeaux and his atelier worked up a successful commercial edition of terracotta busts based on the bronze figures constituting his Four Parts of the World Sustaining the Globe, which is the central element of the fountain of the Observatory in the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris. The date of 1872 on this sensitively detailed example corresponds to that of the plaster model of the group shown in that year's Salon; the fountain itself was inaugurated in 1874. He added a Michelangelesque sideward turn, ropes across the chest that seem barely able to contain the young woman's energy, and the poignant inscription on the base: Pourquoi! Naître esclave! (Why born a slave?).

 Made with Memento Beta.

nb: the real name of the sculpture is “Negress”. A testimony of a old time.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.