“Celuy Qui Fut Pris”, a Rare Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture by André Clemencin

FRANÇOIS ANDRÉ CLÉMENCIN French, 1878-1950 "Celui qui fut pris" (The one that was taken) Patinated & polychromed bronze Signed on base "A. Clemencin" Item # 110BKP22X An exq...

An exquisite and rare example of Paul Philippe's Mischievous finished in a brilliant polychromed gilt, the young woman grabs her reddish-brown hair in hand while looking off into the corner with a sly look in her eyes that suggests she holds a secret that we will never know. The base signature is captured directly from the mold. Situated over its original faceted base. A very fine work. ARTIST Born in Thorn in Poland in 1870, Paul Philippe studied under Antonin Larroux at the École des Beaux-Arts after moving to Paris, France around 1900. He exhibited extensively at all of the major French salons and developed his own voice in sculpture by focusing his ouevre around the movement of the female body, often depicting exotic models in highly theatrical poses with a loose adherence to realism in his idealized visions. He walked a fine line between Art Nouveau and Art Deco while his figures do tend towards the latter. He executed figures in bronze and chryselephantine and worked with some of the best foundries in France and Germany. Many examples of his work are held in the Art Deco Museum in Moscow, Russia. Artist Listings...

This patinated bronze sculpture titled Amour Captif is a powerful reinterpretation of love's paradoxes, created by celebrated French sculptor Félix Sanzel. Signed F. Sanzel on the b...

Emmanuel Villanis comes from a family of Italian origin. From 1861, his parents returned to Italy to settle in Piedmont. He had fled Italy because the war of independence broke out, under the threat of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1871, the artist enrolled at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin; he follows the teaching of the sculptor Odoardo Tabacchi (1831-1905). As soon as he finished his studies, his master encouraged him to exhibit: his bust Alda, for example, was presented in Milan in 1881. In 1885, Villanis moved to Montmartre, a district of Paris that he never left. The artist's fame is built on his production of female figures. Aida, Judith, Delilah, Lucretia, Cinderella: her work brings together the great heroines of opera, literature, mythology and the Bible. Villanis also discusses certain types - the Bohemian, the Châtelaine, or the Parisienne - and several allegories, including Painting and Sculpture. Made mainly in bronze, sometimes chryselephantine, his sculptures subtly bear the mark of Art Nouveau, including the lettering of the title, which regularly adorns the base. His play on the patinas further adds to the finesse of the line, making Villanis one of the major sculptors of Art Nouveau. Regarding the casting of bronzes, he worked mainly with the Société des Bronzes de Paris and with Eugène...