Émile-Antoine BOURDELLE

Patinated plaster signed « Emile-Antoine Bourdelle » and dedicated « A T’SERSTEVENS – AU POETE »
H. 39,3″ x W. 46,8″ x D. 11,4″
Circa 1915

Gift from the artist to Albert T’Serstevens around 1915

Limited edition to 8 examples

Provenance: former collection Albert T’Serstevens, Paris ; by descent.

Bibliography: I. Jianou et M. Dufet, Bourdelle, Paris, 1984, p. 110, no. 441.

Emile-Antoine Bourdelle undertook the decoration of the façade of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées from 1910 to 1912. The present plaster comes from the central frieze which is located at the heart of the façade. In the review he published, Albert T’Serstevens wrote: “Pour Bourdelle, la sculpture de son théâtre est de la vie tirée de la chair même du mouvement: elle s’accorde avec lui, elle obéit aux lignes de l’architecture, elle a l’humilité douce et la grandeur héroïque d’une amante” (A. T’Sterstevens, Comoedia, December 21 1912).