Samuel Welles de la Valette at the Petit Palais, Paris

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Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux created a portrait of Samuel Welles de Lavalette in 1866, five years after sculpting his mother's bust, the marquise de Lavalette. The marquise's second husband adopted Carpeaux, and he became one of the elite under Napoleon III. With this piece, Carpeaux expressed a young dandy's friendly, nonchalant elegance perfectly. Samuel Welles de Lavalette was a French politician born on March 22, 1834, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He died on July 13, 1892, in Prigonrieux, Dordogne, France. As a diplomat, he served as an embassy secretary and was adopted by the Marquis de Lavalette. He became director of the Chemins de fer de l'Ouest railroad and married Eugene Rouher's daughter. Welles de Lavalette naturalized French in May 1863 and served as a deputy from 1863 to 1870, supporting Napoleon III. This object is part of the Scan The World project. MyMiniFactory started this non-profit initiative to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks for free public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort. If you have interesting items and want to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how to help.