Alfred Boucher (1850–1934) - Lot 284

Lot n° 284
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Estimation :
8000 - 12000 EUR
Alfred Boucher (1850–1934) - Lot 284
Alfred Boucher (1850–1934) Volubilis White marble relief Signed on the lower right edge of the block: "A. BOUCHER" H. 68 cm Bibliography Jacques Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850–1934, L’œuvre sculpté, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, Mare & Martin, 2014, model listed under no. A38b, pp. 178–183 Initially a student of Marius Ramus, Paul Dubois, and then Augustin Dumont, Alfred Boucher was later admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1869 and won the Second Prix de Rome in 1876 for *Jason Seizing the Golden Fleece*. A renowned portraitist, Boucher received numerous public commissions. The artist took equal pleasure in depicting allegories as he did anonymous workers, blending the political world with the rural world. The *Volubilis* sculpture draws its inspiration both from a poem by René François Sully Prud’homme and one of the figures Alfred Boucher created in 1894 to adorn the tomb of the foundryman Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810–1892) at Père Lachaise Cemetery. Alfred Boucher enjoyed great critical acclaim at the Salons of 1896 and 1897 with his depiction of Page 1 of 2 "Volubilis" in full-length form. Buoyed by this enthusiasm, the artist decided to create several variations of this work, while maintaining the three-quarter front view of the bust and the profile of the face. These variations of nude young women, depicted as busts or half-figures, bear poetic names: “Le Souvenir,” “Le Printemps,” “Le Rêve.” Each piece reveals the special attention the artist paid to a specific detail of the composition. In this work, the "Volubilis à mi corps," the emergence of a slender female figure from a block of rough marble as well as the deliberate contrast between the materials and the non-finito technique evoke both the work of Auguste Rodin and that of Michelangelo. Appraiser: Cabinet Lacroix-Jeannest 69 rue Sainte Anne - 75002 PARIS
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