catalog text
FERNAND OUILLON-CARRERE
French, 20th century
"Sword Dance" (1919)
Burnished & patinated bronze over verde marble base | Signed in base “F. Ouillon Carrere 1919”
Item # 306PBH04A
Originally exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1919, Fernand Ouillon-Carrére’s sculpture of “Sword Dance” is a powerful study of a young woman dancing betwixt an array of spear tips. His most sought-after sculpture and the only work by Ouillon-Carrére documented in Catley’s well-known reference on the Art Deco period, it is a brilliantly executed model and only infrequently found on the open-market. We carried the slightly larger version of this model in 2016 and have been looking for a great example of it ever since - the smaller size of this example allows the price to be particularly attractive.
Ouillon-Carrére's ability to capture the poise and dignity of the dancer is most moving, her gaze is focused but confident, her body exhibiting the practiced calm of an accomplished athlete. She embraces the senseless risk of her endeavor - a statement beyond the self-evident surface beauty of the model. Her figure is raised over the original faceted verde marble plinth.
Literature:
- Art Deco and Other Figures, Catley, 1978, p. 243
Measurements: 14 1/4" H x 9 1/2" W (widest point, hand-to-hand) x 3 1/2" D (base)
Condition Report:
In very fine condition; burnished patina refreshed, presenting with trace odixization to crevices and soft incredibly minor scuffs; trace wear to patinated hair; waxed and polished, ready to place.