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Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

French, 1911-1977

French sculptor Émile Gilioli crafted each piece to polished perfection. His smooth marble and bronze abstract sculptures feature reflective surfaces, graceful curves and sudden, sharp lines and angles. And while Gilioli was obsessed with refinement in his three-dimensional work, his abstract prints and watercolors reveal a looser, more expressive approach. No matter the chosen medium, his inner artist always shone through.

Gilioli was born in 1911 to a family of Italian shoemakers living in Paris. When he was three years old, his family moved back to Italy and settled in Mantua, where young Gilioli was eventually employed at the local forge. After World War I, his family moved back to France and Gilioli attended the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs and Beaux-Arts de Paris. He started working as a sculpture craftsman at 17 years old, and at 19, he joined the studio of Jean Boucher.

During World War II, Gilioli was stationed in Grenoble. There, he spent time at the Musée de Grenoble and was introduced to Cubism. Upon his return to Paris in 1945, he became one of the key figures in the city's burgeoning abstractionist movement. That same year, he held his first exhibition in Grenoble and also showed at two salons in Paris, in 1947 and ’49.

Gilioli eventually settled in the commune of Saint-Martin-de-la-Cluze, where he opened a sculpture atelier. Throughout the 1950s, he continued to pave the way for abstract sculpture in the country, frequently exhibiting with artists like Alicia Penalba, François Stahly and Étienne Martin. Throughout his long career, Gilioli designed many large sculptures for public spaces.

In 1997, to mark the 20-year anniversary of his death, the commune of Saint-Martin-de-la-Cluze purchased his workshop and home, turning the property into a museum to permanently display his creations.

Gilioli's sculptures and works on paper are held in museums in France and around the world, including the Musée de Grenoble, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Gallery in London, the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

On 1stDibs, find Émile Gilioli prints, drawings, sculptures and more.

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Creator: Émile Gilioli
"La Petite Sphere" Bronze Abstract Sculpture by Emile Gilioli
"La Petite Sphere" Bronze Abstract Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

"La Petite Sphere" Bronze Abstract Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

By Émile Gilioli

Located in Stamford, CT

A bronze sculpture on marble base by Emile Gilioli entitled "La Petite Sphere". This piece will be included in "The Forth Coming" catalog which is being produced by The Gilioli Archive. "Emile Gilioli was born to a family on Italian shoemakers who had settled beside the Canal Saint-Martin. After the first World War, the family moved back towards Italy, settling in Nice. In 1932, Gilioli took courses at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs de Nice, notably with the future artist Marie Raymond. During the Second World War, Gilioli was mobilized in Grenoble where he passed the remainder of the conflict. He made the acquaintance of Andry Fracy, a conservationist at the Grenoble Musee des baux-arts and led him to discover cubism. After the war, Gilioli settled in Saint-Martin-de-La-Cluze near Grenoble, where he sculpted in his workshop. His art was associated in a certain way with the deeds of the French Renaissance. He became friendly with Thomas Gleb...

Category

1940s Vintage Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

1960s Astrale Sculpture by Emile Gilioli
1960s Astrale Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

1960s Astrale Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

By Émile Gilioli

Located in Paris, FR

Emile Gilioli (1911 - 1977) ‘‘Astrale’’, 1966 White marble, base in black laquered wood Sculpture : H. 63,5 x 29 x 39 cm / Base : H. 100 x 43 x 42,5 cm At the height of the 20th cen...

Category

1960s French Vintage Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

Materials

Marble

Abstract Marble Sculpture by Emile Gilioli
Abstract Marble Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

Abstract Marble Sculpture by Emile Gilioli

By Émile Gilioli

Located in Stamford, CT

This beautiful marble sculpture by Emile Gilioli is made of rose veined marble (white/pink). The sculpture is signed and dated on wooden base. "Emile Gilioli was born to a family on Italian shoemakers who had settled beside the Canal Saint-Martin. After the first World War, the family moved back towards Italy, settling in Nice. In 1932, Gilioli took courses at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs de Nice, notably with the future artist Marie Raymond. During the Second World War, Gilioli was mobilized in Grenoble where he passed the remainder of the conflict. He made the acquaintance of Andry Fracy, a conservationist at the Grenoble Musee des baux-arts and led him to discover cubism. After the war, Gilioli settled in Saint-Martin-de-La-Cluze near Grenoble, where he sculpted in his workshop. His art was associated in a certain way with the deeds of the French Renaissance. He became friendly with Thomas Gleb...

Category

1950s French Vintage Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Émile Gilioli "La Boisselune" 1950s - Abstract Bronze Sculpture
Émile Gilioli "La Boisselune" 1950s - Abstract Bronze Sculpture

Émile Gilioli "La Boisselune" 1950s - Abstract Bronze Sculpture

By Émile Gilioli

Located in New York, NY

-"La Boisselune" by Émile Gilioli -Signed, dated and numbered on the back “Gilioli, 59, 1/6" -Manufacture: Cast from La Plaine -60 x 39 x 20cm -Provenance : Artist’s studio -Collect...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Modern Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

La Boisseloune
La Boisseloune

La Boisseloune

By Émile Gilioli

Located in Paris, FR

La Boisseloune Sculpture, 1955 Catalog : [Janou, Lassale N°146 p.162] H x W x D : 60.00 cm. x 42.00 cm. x 25.00 cm. 23.62 in. x 16.54 in. x 9.84 in. Handsigned by the artist Very good condition Painted and engraved stone Inspired by nature, particularly the aquatic world, Gilioli shapes and polishes La Boisseloune as the swell sculpts a pebble. The subtle interplay of curves and material highlights the motifs created by the artist. The engraved vegetation is reminiscent of that depicted in Egyptian enameled...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Émile Gilioli Decorative Objects

Materials

Stone

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Émile Gilioli decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Émile Gilioli decorative objects are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Émile Gilioli decorative objects, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider decorative objects by Joseph Csaky, Henri Godet, and Claude Viseux. Prices for Émile Gilioli decorative objects can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,996 and can go as high as $60,113, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $18,200.