1930s French Art Deco " Ondine" Bronze Sculpture • Pierre Le Faguays

We acquired this French 1930s bronze sculpture by Pierre Le Faguays (1892-1935) from a private French collector who told us that he originally bought the sculpture in the 1950′s while shopping in Porte de Clignancourt. This is an important and artistically executed bronze statue of a beautiful nude female with draping named “Ondine”. The enchanting, realistic face, the hands and the feet of this sculpture are intricately detailed and the (hefty!) bronze has taken on a gorgeous patina with age. The elaborate geometric stepped marble base consists at least 5 different kinds of marble. It is stunning in its own right and looks as though it were built for a 1930s Hollywood movie set. Needless to say, it’s the perfect platform for this stunning beauty.

Fayral and Guerbe were each pseudonyms used by the famous Pierre Le Faguays. Fayral and Guerbe were the family names of his Mother and his Wife respectively. Le Faguays was born in Nantes, France and became famous for the originality and grace he gave his dancers, many of which were inspired by the statues of Tanagra. He was awarded a medal of honor for his work in 1927. His best friend, Max Le Verrier (of the Le Verrier Foundry) made most of (if not all of) his pieces.