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French Bishop Claude Marie Dubuis Bronze Bust, Five Castings Installed in the U.S. and France

“My clients all love the Dubuis bronze bust we received today. Please cast four more with the same patina. They will probably order an additional two or three more castings next year as well. So job well done!”
~ Michael L.Telleya
Art Dallas Gallery
Location: Several Hospitals in France and the United States
Size: Life Size
Year Completed: 2014

Slater was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Diocese in France to sculpt a life size bronze portrait of Archbishop Dubuis. This beautiful portrait is of Dubuis in his younger days as a priest in Galveston, Texas from 1862 to 1892. Slater was given a very small fuzzy photograph of Dubuis and an impressionistic painting of him from which to work. As she sculpted the portrait of Dubuis in clay, high resolution in-progress photographs from many angles were emailed to her client. Her client in turn, shared these photographs with his clients, who were five French Nuns and their Bishop. As progress was being made, the Nuns found another photograph of Dubuis in his latter years when he was an Archbishop. Although he was much older than the portrait Slater was asked to sculpt, it was still very helpful and she was able to add much more beautiful detail to the portrait. Once the bust was cast in glowing bronze the Nuns and their Bishop so loved the portrait that they ordered an additional four castings to be installed in France in other hospitals named after Dubuis. The garments, cross and especially the neck chain worn by Dubuis required a great deal of fine detailing, however Slater says she finds that challenge very inspiring. Slater loves to exceed her client’s expectations so that we create lasting and memorable fine art in bronze. After all, bronze is call “the King of Metals” and lasts for centuries, thus a sculpture made from it should be worthy of being treasured!