Ernest Christophe

His Le Masque (the Mask) sculpture won Christophe third place in the Paris Salon in 1876 and two of his sculptures, La Fatalité (Fatality) and Le Baiser suprême (The supreme kiss) were acquired by the Musée du Luxembourg. Christophe developed a deep friendship with Cuban-born French poet José-Maria de Heredia and made him his testamentary legatee. De Heredia collected part of Ernest's library after his death. He is buried in the Batignolles Cemetery.

• Name — Ernest Christophe • Birth Name — Ernest Louis Aquilas Christophe • Born — 15 January 1827 • Birthplace — Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France • Died — 14 January 1892 • Place of death — 17th arrondissement of Paris, France • Resting Place — Batignolles Cemetery • Known for — Sculpture • Notable Works — The Human Comedy

One of Christophe's most recognized works is the Human Comedy sculpture that he submitted in 1876 to the Paris Salon. The Statue was acquired and exposed in the Jardin des Tuileries in 1877 and was moved to the Orsay museum since 1986 after restoration works in the Louvre. The sculpture inspired Christophe's friend Charles Baudelaire to write his poem Le Masque (the Mask). The sculptor renamed his statue "The Mask" with a nod to Baudelaire's ekphrastic poem. The work depicts a semi-nude woman whose smiling face is really a mask that hides "a face of sorrow". La Fatalité, a statue executed by Christophe in 1885, inspired another French poet Leconte de Lisle's poem of the same title.

• Illustration — The Human Comedy - The Mask, 1876, marble, Musée d'Orsay, Paris • Illustration — Le baiser suprême • Illustration — La Fatalité