French school of the second half of the 19th century, inspired by models of Joseph Michel-Ange Pollet (1814-1871) and Mathurin Moreau (1822-1912). Dusk and Dawn Two statuettes in bronze with brown patina Bearing the signature of the publisher Salvatore Marchi (1788-1859) H : 37 cm Wear to the patina Works of reference - Joseph Michel-Ange Pollet, An hour of the night, 1850, white marble, Compiègne, Musée national du château ; - James Pradier and Salvator Marchi, Star of the Shepherd, daytime, patinated plaster, H. 51 cm, City of Geneva, Museums of Art and History, inv. 1910-0210 ; - Louis-Auguste Moreau after Mathurin Moreau, La Nuit, white marble, signed "L Moreau Scpt et Moreau Mathurin", H. 88,9 cm, Christie's New York, sale of 26 October 2004. These two statuettes representing two naked women of great sensuality symbolizing the Day and the Night were so successful and were distributed with many variations that it is difficult to attribute their authorship to a specific artist. It would seem, however, that the theme and general composition of a nude woman with her arms raised, a long drape falling down her back was conceived in 1846 by the sculptor James Pradier and entitled, Etoile du Berger, le Jour. The molder and publisher Salvatore Marchi, who claimed to be a student of Pradier, offered a plaster and imitation terra cotta edition around 1860 of two statuettes entitled, Star of the Shepherd, the Day and Star of the Shepherd, the Night. Salvatore Marchi had received the right to Pradier's plaster casts in exchange for the molding work he did for him. After Pradier's death, Salvatore Marchi continued to make about forty casts after Pradier's statuettes. His casts usually bear two stamps, one of which is "SALVATOR MARCHI Moul ET EDITEUR DE MR PRADIER PARIS". Here our two bronze statuettes bear his signature on their base. Perhaps it is possible that the publisher initially distributed the models of these two works in plaster and terracotta, which are similar to a work by Joseph Michel-Ange Pollet (1814-1871) presented at the 1850 Salon and other works by Mathurin Moreau (1822-1912).