catalog text
PIERRE LE FAGUAYS
French, 1892-1962
Female Dancer with a Draped Garment
Lost-wax cast bronze | signed "Le Faguays", "cire purdue", "Susse Fres. Edts. Paris”, cold-stamped “BRONZE" and sealed with the circular foundry cachet along the edge | cast circa 1930
Item # 401LTK27E
An exceedingly scarce and stunningly beautiful model of a nude femal dancer with the remnants of a garment draped on her arm with nods towards the Dionysian with grapes and grape-leaves tied into the curls of her hair, the model is an exquisite display of lithe form and swirling movement. The rotation and curvature of the model is extraordinary as the young woman is entirely lost in her interpretive art, her eyes raised towards an infinite point in the heavens. The model is finished in an overall verdigris over medium-brown patination and positively glows. The casting quality and finishing work is of an exceedingly good quality and showcases the remarkably high-grade of work Susse was able to achieve. The model is a very rare find on the open-market.
PIERRE LE FAGUAYS
Born in 1892 in Nantes, France, Pierre Le Faguays would become famous for his contribution to the Art Deco movement. His education under the guidance of James Vibert at the Geneva University of Art and Design was pivotal in shaping his artistic style. Le Faguays' work began to gain recognition shortly after his first exhibition at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1922, a key event that marked the onset of his most productive years.
In 1926 and 1927, Le Faguays received honorable mentions that served as public acknowledgments of his growing stature. His choice of materials was diverse, ranging from bronze and terracotta to more exotic mediums like ivory and alabaster. His sculptures often depicted lithe female figures and many of his models are reportedly influenced by the terracotta figurines of ancient Tanagra in Greece.
Le Faguays regularly collaborated with his peers in the burgeoning and highly active artistic community in France, contemporaries that were also working to promote the new modernist vision that became recognized as the Art Deco movement. He co-founded the "Stele and Evolution Group" with Maurice Bouraine, working alongside artists such as Sibylle May and Edouard Cazaux. This collaboration worked to extend his influence on an entire generation of working artists while his public statuary and monuments were highly influential on the general public of the era.
His collaboration with several publishers and foundries - including well-known names like Arthur Goldscheider, the house of Etling and the renowned galleries and foundry of the Susse Brothers - was instrumental in broadening the distribution and influence of his sculptures. Le Faguays' presented his work extensively at the major French exhibitions, including the Paris Salons, the Expositions des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels in Paris and the Exposition Universelle.
He died in Paris on September 8th of 1962.
Measurements: 27 1/4" H x 24 1/8" W x 7 3/4" D
Condition Report:
A very fine presentation, carefully cleaned and sealed in conservator's grade wax, ready to place. Trace wear to the patina: light abrasion along her upraised thigh, light wear to her upraised arm and more notably to her upraised elbow, a few points of rubbing wear along the lower arm, spot of wear to her fingers. Overall very well-preserved.