Émile-Antoine Bourdelle

Musée Bourdelle, Paris
Fujikawa Galleries Inc, Tokyo (acquired from the above)
Private Collection, United States

Osaka, Fujikawa Galleries Inc., Les sculptures importantes modernes, 1992

Maximilien Gauthier, Bourdelle, Paris, 1951, illustration of another cast pl. XX
Pierre Descargues, Bourdelle, Paris, 1954, illustration of another cast p. 74
Emmanuel Auricoste, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, Paris, 1955, illustration of another cast pl. 55
Ionel Jianou, Michel Dufet, Bourdelle, Paris, 1978, no. 61, catalogued p. 73

Very good condition, the work has been recently cleaned and waxed. Very minor areas of rubbing and a few scratches scattered on the surface consistent with a work of this size.
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"The archaic is the deepest of arts, the only one in harmony with the universal; it is at once the most human and the most eternal of arts" -- Emile Bourdelle

Bourdelle was a pioneer of monumental sculpture in the early 20^th Century and was much admired by Rodin, who was his teacher and mentor. The early works of the artist reflect the influence of Rodin in their expressive naturalism but by the early 1920s the artist's style had developed into a more even and controlled approach influenced by classical sculpture. The vibrant, rippling surface of the present work belies the influence of Rodin while the subject matter, as well as the more restrained, decorative elements, reference Archaic Greek sculpture. In the present work, Sappho, the monumental figure of the lyric poet shows how this combination of contemporary and ancient influences fuses to display a bold, expressive energy.

The recipient of many public commissions, the artist was long concerned by the way in which a sculpture related to its outdoor environment - a concern that stemmed from his study of classical sculpture. According to Peter Cannon-Brookes, "Bourdelle was particularly concerned with the interplay of clearly defined spaces and masses, and the importance of the empty space - which he called his 'studies of spatial values in relation to volumes and contours of objects"'(Emile Antoine Bourdelle, London, 1983, p. 23). By creating pieces to be displayed in a natural, outdoor environment, the artist demonstrates his understanding of the architectural composition of a monumental sculpture. Indeed, the present work celebrates the combination of art and architecture in a language that is at once contemporary and timeless.