Thursday, August 26, 2010

Object of the Day: A Sculpture by Émile Guillemin

Last week, I spotlighted one of my favorite paintings, Gypsy Woman with a Parrot by Alexandre Marie Guillemin—a piece which has become representative of our mission here at “Stalking the Belle Époque.” Another of my favorite objects is a sculpture by Émile Coriolan Hippolyte Guillemin—his son. Émile (1841-1907) achieved huge fame and success as a sculptor—commissioned to create bronzes of historical figures and the bucolic, allegorical scenes that were the height of popularity in the French art world of the mid to late Nineteenth Century.


This sculpture, Dans Le Roseaux, (Dance of the Reeds) is representative of Guillemin’s fantastic delicacy and fluidity as an artist. A young man, lithe and willowy, stands upon a field of reeds. His arm held aloft, he once held a bouquet of reeds which has been lost over time. Cast in “French Bronze,” the figure is defined by Guillemin’s characteristic crisp facial features and elongated limbs.

I’m proud to have reunited the works of two brilliant artists from the same family. They are displayed near each other, and I like to think that this somehow is a comfortable and fitting reunion for them both. We’re reminded that creativity and a sense for beauty can cross generational lines. In that, there’s much hope for our future.

No comments: