Signed E. Drouot Bronze Male Harvester with Hay Fork on Red Marble Base
The only known male version of Drouot's harvester figures
Edouard Drouot was a French sculptor known for dramatic figures of workers, warriors and mythological subjects, many made as decorative bronzes and mantel figures around 1900. His other harvester figures in this style are female. This one is a young man with a hay fork standing beside a bound sheaf of wheat, and it's the only known male version. His other labor subjects are well documented, but this model doesn't appear in auction records. It dates to about 1890–1910. If you know of another cast or the model's original title, please add it below.
A bronze young male farmer with a hay fork and wheat sheaf, signed E. Drouot, on a red marble base
The signed E. Drouot male harvester is a dark brown bronze figure of a barefoot young man standing on rocky ground, with a bound sheaf of wheat lying behind his feet. He holds a long two-prong hay fork in his right hand, clenches his left hand at his side, and looks up and to his left with his hair swept back by the wind. The figure stands on a round, two-step red marble base with white veining, and it's about 22 inches tall with the base.
A Drouot harvester bronze of a man with a two-prong hay fork and a wheat sheaf at his feet, on a red marble base, is this model. Drouot's other harvesters in this style are all women.
- Head: thick, wind-swept hair falling to one side, face turned up and to the figure's left, a strong jaw and an intent expression.
- Shirt: loose work shirt with a wide collar, open and torn down the chest, with a toggle at the front. Short sleeves pushed up above the elbows, folded in heavy creases.
- Trousers: rolled up below the knee into thick cuffs, held at the back with a buckled strap.
- Hands: right hand holds the pitchfork upright, left hand clenched in a loose fist.
- Hay fork: a separate thin shaft about as tall as the figure, ending in two curved prongs.
- Feet and ground: bare feet on a rough rock, with a sheaf of wheat bound with a band lying behind them.
- Signature: "E. Drouot" in raised script with a long underline swash, cast into the rock below the sheaf.
- Base: round red marble in two steps, deep red with white veins, with a thin metal band between the steps.
- Patina: dark chocolate brown, lighter brown on the high points.
- Underside: a central threaded rod and nut hold the figure to the marble.
On the rock: E. Drouot Foundry mark: none seen Title plaque: none
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Every listing we've found, ranked by delivered price
Listings from eBay, Etsy and sellers' own sites. Price includes shipping.
| Seller | Condition | Original? | Price | Shipping | Delivered | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private seller Private sale | Patina wear and some green spots. Small chips on the marble edge. Old glue and felt on the underside, rusted mounting nut. | Signed original | $5,000.00 | Ask seller | $5,000.00plus shipping | Available |
About the Drouot male harvester bronze
Who made this sculpture?
Edouard Drouot (1859–1945), a French sculptor. It is signed "E. Drouot" in the cast, on the rock below the wheat sheaf.
Is this a known Drouot model?
It was previously unrecorded, with no other example in auction records. Drouot's other harvester figures in this style are female, which makes this male harvester with a hay fork the only known male version.
How big is it?
About 22 inches (56 cm) tall including the red marble base.
Does the hay fork come off?
Yes. It's a separate piece that sits in the figure's right hand.
- Signature, base and figure, from the owner's photos