Whilst strolling around Place Saint-Anne in the small village of Nohant-Vic – where George Sand’s summer residence once stood, a place frequently visited by the Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin – one may come across a statue of him. Connoisseurs will recognise in the bronze bust a reflection of the original model created by the French sculptor Jean-Pierre’ Dantan in 1841, a plaster cast of which can be admired, amongst other places, at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris.

Chopin’s bust, displayed in Nohant-Vic on a high plinth, was cast in bronze in 2010 on commission from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage to mark the celebrations of the Year of Chopin. The bronze cast was based on a portrait of the composer by the Polish sculptor Adam Roman (1916–2013), who, after the Second World War, created a copy of Dantan’s plaster sculpture. Bronze copies, based on Roman’s work from the University of Warsaw’s collection, were presented by the Polish authorities to diplomatic missions and cultural institutions around the world. As well as in Nohant-Vic, they can also be admired in places such as Caracas, New Delhi and Tokyo.

The unveiling of the monument in Nohant-Vic took place on 12 November 2010. The gift from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage to the village held symbolic significance – Chopin stayed in Nohant-Vic on seven occasions between 1839 and 1846. At the country house of his beloved, George Sand, he spent his time, amongst other things, composing music. It was here that he composed the Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 35 (featuring the famous Funeral March) and his final nocturnes.

Today, George Sand’s residence in Nohant-Vic houses a museum, whilst the composer’s beloved is laid to rest in the nearby cemetery. To commemorate Chopin and Sand’s stays in the village, a festival of Romantic music is organised every summer.

Description of the bust

A realistic depiction of Chopin with a serious expression, described as ‘CHOPIN’ and signed ‘after Dantan, Roman A’.

The original model for the portrait of Chopin was created by the French sculptor Jean-Pierre Dantan (1800–1869), who gained recognition as the creator of dignified or caricatured busts of well-known figures from the worlds of art and politics. The busts created by the artist were produced mainly for commercial purposes. They were available in various sizes and materials (plaster, bronze) at a relatively low price from the company run by the artist under the name Dantanorama. Dantan’s mature work fell within the 19th century – the so-called ‘statue mania’ period in France, characterised by the extraordinary popularity of official monuments erected in urban spaces to honour eminent figures. Informal, mass-produced busts served as a counterpoint to official sculptural activity.