catalog text
JACQUES LOYSEL
French, 1867-1925
Study of a Nude Female Golfer (1909)
Medium-brown patinated bronze | signed in base "J. Loysel", incised verso foundry markings for "A. Bingen et Costenoble Fondeur Paris"
Item # 301MGP14P
An exquisite modeling of nude female golfer, this very fine study was executed using the lost-wax method by the foundry of A. Bingen et Costenoble, a Parisian founder renowned for their cire purdue castings and perhaps best known for their castings for Henri Matisse and Aristide Maillol. It is beautifully finished in an overall reddish-brown patina. The bronze was conceived in 1909 and the casting is circa 1915. The studies in bronze by Loysel are very infrequently found on the open market.
JACQUES LOYSEL
Born in 1867, Jacques Loysel studied under Henri Chapu and Antoine Mercie at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He started exhibiting at the various Salons in 1892 and continued through 1920, winning a third-class medal in 1894, a travelling scholarship in 1897 and a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1900. His career masterpiece La Grande Névrose was exhibited three times, starting in 1896 and again in 1900 and 1902 - this marble was sold at Sotheby's in 2017 as the highlight of the auction, achieving 1.8m GBP or approximately $ 2.9m USD. Other notable work includes his series of seven female nudes executed in bronze and exhibited in 1894 titled "One Week" and his 1911 series of 9 nude female dancers titled "Studies of Movements in Classical Dance". It would be a subject matter that he dedicated his career almost exclusively to, the careful study and portrayal of the female body in complex motion and movement with utmost attention to scientifically exacting observations of his models.
His first studio was set up at 299 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, but after some success he acquired a mansion at 25 rue de Prony which would also serve as his studio for the rest of his career. He traveled extensively and while little has been recorded of his travels, he is noted as spending a great deal of time in Egypt, Italy and Germany. He also coauthored two books, The Great Neurosis and Europe together with Austrian graphic artist Alfred Kubin.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. VIII, Gründ, 2006, p. 1295-96
- Bronzes of the 19th Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 444
Measurements: 12 5/8" H x 6 5/8" D
Condition Report:
Trace patina wear, overall remaining in exquisite original condition. Whether a golf club ever existed or if it is not included to allow all focus to remain on the study is unknown. Trace verdigris to the end of the suggested golf-club. An exquisite casting that is beautifully preserved.