Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Romanian sculptor Demetre Chiparus — who is sometimes referred to as Dumitru Chiparus or Dimitri Chiparus — was a renowned Art Deco-era artist most often associated with realism. He initially created sculptures that featured small children. As his work began to mature, he continued to create figurative sculptures but shifted his focus, and his output was marked by an appreciation for the lithe female form — a popular subject during the 1920s. Chiparus was later known for his animal sculptures, too.
Chiparus lived comfortably as an artist owing in part to his family fortune. At the age of 23, he moved to Italy and began his formal art and sculpting studies under Italian sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. Following his time in Italy, he moved to Paris where he attended L'École des Beaux-Arts. He studied under sculptors Antonin Mercie and Jean Boucher. He was inspired by the Russian Ballet, French theater and early motion pictures.
Though he wouldn’t sell many of his pieces during his lifetime, Chiparus was well known for his bright and colorful busts and sculptures featuring dancing ladies. He was equally inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb — a common influence for designers and artists of the Art Deco era — which is obvious in his references to Egyptian themes in his decorative objects and other realist works.
Chiparus worked with a combination of ivory and bronze to create chryselephantine sculptures, a method and type of sculpture that was particularly popular during the Archaic period. The bases of his pieces were typically made of marble or onyx and he adorned his life-like subjects with vibrant enamel that lent a touch of whimsicality to his art.
Chiparus exhibited his works at the Salon of 1914 and lived in Paris until his death. A range of his sculptures is held in the permanent collection of the Museo Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Spain.
Find original Demetre Chiparus decorative objects, sculptures and other works on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century European Art Deco Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
1960s Primitive Vintage Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Burmese Other Antique Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
1960s Japanese Meiji Vintage Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze
1940s Vintage Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Ebony
1960s Asian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Japonisme Demetre Chiparus Asian Art and Furniture
Bronze, Iron