catalog text
PAUL PHILIPPE
Polish/French, 1870-1930
"Mischievous"
Polychromed gilt bronze over original marble base | signed in cast "P. PHILIPPE" | signed in cast "i9.R / France" with foundry seal of A.G. Paris
Item # 212MPH15S
An exquisite and rare example of Paul Philippe's Mischievous finished in a brilliant polychromed gilt, the young woman grabs her reddish-brown hair in hand while looking off into the corner with a sly look in her eyes that suggests she holds a secret that we will never know. The base signature is captured directly from the mold. Situated over its original faceted base. A very fine work.
ARTIST
Born in Thorn in Poland in 1870, Paul Philippe studied under Antonin Larroux at the École des Beaux-Arts after moving to Paris, France around 1900. He exhibited extensively at all of the major French salons and developed his own voice in sculpture by focusing his ouevre around the movement of the female body, often depicting exotic models in highly theatrical poses with a loose adherence to realism in his idealized visions. He walked a fine line between Art Nouveau and Art Deco while his figures do tend towards the latter. He executed figures in bronze and chryselephantine and worked with some of the best foundries in France and Germany. Many examples of his work are held in the Art Deco Museum in Moscow, Russia.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Art Deco & Other Figures, Bryan Catley, p. 250, this model pictured with the same base
Measurements: 26 1/4" H x 5 1/2" D x 7 1/2" W [total dimensions including marble]; 22 5/8" H x 4 1/8" D x 6 1/8" W [bronze only];
Condition Report:
Exquisite condition - spot of wear to patina of the right shoulder.