Prosper Lecourtier

Lion

1907

Title : Art Deco Marble sculpture of an oriental dancer half nude in a very elegant pose. The beautifull woman is smiling while dancing on one foot wi...

This rare and delicate sculpture signed by the artist George Minne in white Carrara marble is an unequivocal reference to the parable of the same name in the Gospel of Saint Luke. T...

The Sculpture : The Artist (L'Artiste) Impressive in size, measuring no less than 123 cm in height, and resting on its original base, Fraikin’s sculpture “L’Artiste” from 1872 reveals itself as a masterpiece. While the artist’s original plaster is now held in the museum bearing his name in Herentals, the present Carrara marble version is made for and exhibited for the first time at the Exposition Universelle de Paris in 1878, it has granted him the Légion d’honneur, France’s most distinguished medal. A paper document glued to the original base of this sculpture indicates that it was indeed this work that was presented at the Paris Salon in 1878 and not a reproduction. We have, to this day, never encountered a copy of this sculpture and assume that it must be unique as was often the case with royal commissions. Following its success at the Exposition Universelle, the present marble was sold to Prince de Stirbay and arranged to be gracing his palace on the outskirts of Paris. As noted by Guillaume Bijl, and specifically naming the present sculpture, this type of princely clientele wasn’t a rare feat for the artist: “Several families, mainly from nobility or with an industrialist background, embellish their castles and mansions with these beautiful and disarming works. (…) Of L’amour endormi a marble version was bought by the Duchess Maria of Russia and another version went to the noble house of von Lindenau. "L’Artiste" in marble went to Prince de Stirbay, and Les deux amours to the noble family van Bisschoffsheim.” With the present marble tucked away in its princely and private collection, the plaster model held in the Fraikin Museum has defended the artist’s reputation ever since. It was exhibited several times over the course of the past century and was recently granted the central position in the exhibition “In dialoog met de kunstenaar” held at the Art Center Hugo Voeten in 2019 and curated by the artist Guillaume Bijl. "L'Artiste" was created when the artist was at the height of both his reputation and skill. The delicacy and quality of the sculpture are a testament to Fraikin's greatness as an artist. Very few works exhibited at the World's Fair were deemed important enough to attract the attention of the art critics at the time. However, in his record of the World Fair, published in La Sculpture en Europe, the critic Henry Jouin dedicated this important passage to Fraikin's masterpiece: "Aux hommes de bataille, aux héros de nos luttes terrestres, si souvent assombries par le sang ou la haine...

Superb sculpture in white Carrara marble representing a mother carrying her child by the Belgian artist Alphonse Van Beurden. The delicacy of the drapery, the expressions of the faces and the realism of this work testify to the unparalleled talent of A. Van Beurden. This theme of mother and child was very fashionable in the 19th century, and other artists such as Paul Troubetzkoy and Jean Boucher also tackled the timeless theme of maternal love.

Venus and Cupid by Jean-Marie Boucher : This white marble statue of Venus, gazing lovingly at a winged Cupid, was created around 1910. The same marble model was sold by Sotherby's London in their auction "19th and 20th Century Sculpture '' on November 26...

This sculpture dates from the end of the 19th century, circa 1890, and represents the nymph or naiad Ondine. Unlike mermaids, nymphs do not live in the sea; they frequent the runnin...

Balancing Elephant Louis-Albert Carvin (France, 1875-1951) Bronze, marble Circa 1930s, Art Deco 8 x 7.5 x 2 (4 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 7/8 figure) inches Artist Louis-Albert Carvin, born in Paris in 1875, was exposed to art from an early age through his painter father. Carvin's formal education in art began at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under artists like Émmanuel Frémiet and Georges Gardet. Over the years, artist Louis-Albert Carvin became a renowned sculptor, dedicating his life’s work to the modeling of human and animal figures. He studied under Fremiet and Gardet and became a member of the Société des Artistes Français, exhibiting at the Salon des Artists Francais from 1894 until 1933 winning the Medal of Honor in his first year in 1894. Remarkably, he sculpted La Muse de l’Aviation, the bronze trophy...

Joseph Mario Korbel (Czech/American, 1882-1954). Period fine example bronze, dark brown patina, modeled as a nude female kneeling and tying her sandal, raised on a stepped black marb...

"Panthers resting" by Maximilien FIOT (1886-1953) Outstanding and rare sculpture in white marble France circa 1930 height 40 cm length 66 cm Provenance : By Descent of the Boardman, Devitt and Dawkins families, New England and California. Biography : Louis-Maximilien Fiot, known as Maximilien Fiot (1886-1953) was a French sculptor. Student of the sculptor Prosper Lecourtier, he exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1910 to 1914. Member of the Salon of French Artists, Fiot obtained a third medal in 1911, then a second medal in 1913. As an animal artist, he also participated during the period between the two World Wars, like many of his confreres, in the production of war memorials. In 1930, he realized for the city of La Ferté-Alais, where his mother lived, "The Lion watching...

A very rare bronze cast of two battling Rams, by Sirio Tofanari (1886-1969). An old cast with a dark brown shaded patina. On a heavy green marble steppe...

This is an excellent and sexy boudoir piece by an Austrian sculptor. S. Bauer. It represents this curious, carefree dancer, executed in brown patinated bronze with gold details. Her ...

The Art Deco Birds Statue by Rochard is a unique treatment of two pheasant birds in contrasting positions. Both figures are mounted on a beautiful base crafted in three colors: marbl...