Ary Jean Leon

Ary Bitter was an important French artist, best known for his animal sculptures. He was a designer, painter, and sculptor in various mediums including plaster. In 1910, his work l’Enfant au chevreau received an honorable mention and he carried off the school’s “Chenavard” prize. The following year, in 1911, he won the “Lemaire” prize, and a year later, in 1912, he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français and was a regular exhibitor there up until 1939. Bitter won a bronze medal at the 1913 Salon and the silver medal at the 1921 Salon. In 1913, he worked on a public fountain in Nantes. In 1921, he was commissioned to work on the Sanary-sur-Merwar memorial as well as those in the Marseille cemeteries of St Louis and St Jérôme. In 1923, Bitter created a mascot for Mme Louis Renault’s car and in 1924 won the gold at that year’s Paris Salon The next year, he was one of the sculptors featured by the founder Susse Frères in an exhibition at the Boulevard de la Madeleine showroom. He was commissioned by Susse Frères to work with them on several limited editions. In 1927, he exhibited the work Chloé allongée at the Salon and in 1931 saw him exhibit a bronze version of Diane Chasseresse and in 1932 he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and his Cajolerie was declared hors concours at that year’s Salon. In 1935, Bitter showed two works at the Salon, Léda and Le Cygne. Further honors followed when in 1937 he was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques de Paris and he was invited to show work at the “Palais de la Céramique” and the “Palais du Métal”. Bitter was also given a diplôme d’honneur by the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts.

Styling your home with vintage, new and antique sculptures means adding a touch that can meaningfully transform the space. By introducing a sculptural work as a decorative finish to any interior, you’re making a statement, whether you tend toward the dramatic or prefer to keep things casual with modest, understated art.

A single, one-of-a-kind three-dimensional figurative sculpture mounted on your dining room wall is a guaranteed conversation piece, while a trio of abstract works arranged on your living room bookshelves can add spontaneity to the collection of first-edition novels or artist monographs you’re displaying as well as draw attention to them. Figurative sculptures are representational works that portray a specific person, animal or object. And while decorating with busts, which are sculpted or cast figurative works, hasn’t exactly topped the list of design trends every year, busts are back. According to designer Timothy Corrigan, “They give humanity in a way that a more abstract sculpture can’t give.” Abstract sculptures, on the other hand, are not meant to show something specific. Instead, they invoke a mood or scene without directly stating what they are portraying.

Busts made of stone or metal may not seem like a good fit for your existing decor. Fortunately, there are many ways for a seemingly incongruous piece to fit in with the rest of your room’s theme. You can embrace a dramatic piece by making it the focal point of the room, or you can choose to incorporate several elements made out of the same material to create harmony in your space. If an antique or more dramatic piece doesn’t feel like you, why not opt for works comprising plastic, fiberglass or other more modern materials?

When incorporating sculpture into the design of your home — be it the playful work of auction hero and multimedia visionary KAWS, contemporary fiber art from Connecticut dealer browngrotta arts or still-life sculpture on a budget — consider proper lighting, which can bring out the distinctive aspects of your piece that deserve attention. And make sure you know how the size and form of the sculpture will affect your space in whole. If you choose a sculpture with dramatic design elements, such as sharp angles or bright colors, for example, try to better integrate this new addition by echoing those elements in the rest of your room’s design.

Get started on decorating with sculpture now — find figurative sculptures, animal sculptures and more on 1stDibs today.