Art & Statues
Alexandre Kéléty “Scarf Dancer” Silvered and Gilded Bronze Sculpture, France, 19
Alexandre Kéléty “Scarf Dancer” Silvered and Gilded Bronze Sculpture, France, 1925
This dazzling Art Deco bronze sculpture by Alexandre Kéléty, created in France in 1925, captures the spirited elegance of a dancer mid-performance. Cast in silvered bronze with subtle gilded accents, the figure is shown poised in motion, holding aloft a stylized, wind-swept scarf that curves in a dramatic arc—an embodiment of grace, rhythm, and kinetic energy.
Kéléty, known for his sculptural portrayals of dancers and performers, channels the vitality of the Jazz Age through this masterful composition. The dancer’s fluid pose and serene expression celebrate the freedom and glamour of the era, while the rippling scarf adds both visual balance and sculptural tension. Mounted on a matching silvered bronze base, the piece is unified in tone and material, enhancing its elegant silhouette and making it a standout work of decorative sculpture.
This is more than a decorative object—it’s a visual celebration of movement, femininity, and the exuberance of 1920s Paris. Rare and refined, it remains a signature example of Kéléty’s vision and the Art Deco period’s enduring allure.
Alexandre Kéléty 1874-1940
Kelety emigrated from Hungary to France at the end of the First World War, where he was a student of the Hungarian painter and engraver Imre Simay in Toulouse . He later studied in Paris and his works often depicted animals and children, but he also created Art Deco-style busts and chryselephantine statuettes of dancers and mythological figures in bronze, ivory, marble, or ceramic.
He exhibited several times at the Paris salons: At the Salon des Société des Artistes Français in 1927, he showed a terracotta bust . He showed bronze and ivory figures in 1928 and 1930, all of which were produced and published by Éditeur d'art Arthur Goldscheider . At the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne in 1925, his work was exhibited on both the Goldscheider and Edmond Etling stands. At the Paris World Exhibition in 1937, he featured sculptures edited by Etling and Les Neveux de Jules Lehmann , as well as animal sculptures made by M. Ollier. Kéléty also incorporated the Art Deco style into everyday objects he designed, such as electric lights, ashtrays, and incense burners.
