Le Grenouillard (Frog-Man)

During his short but brilliant career, Jean-Joseph Carriès explored alternative sculptural media such as ceramics and plaster, which were considered vastly inferior to marble and bronze. Half man, half amphibian, this squat figure shares the bulging eyes and elongated spine of the frogs that surround him. For this unusual work, Carriès drew inspiration from two disparate sources: The merging of human and animal features nods to Darwin’s theory of evolution, first published in the mid-1800s. The sculpture’s patinated plaster finish and humorous subject matter, on the other hand, recall Japanese netsuke, small, lacquered carvings celebrated for their wit and whimsy.