Art & Statues
Jan & Joel Martel Art Deco Cubist Bronze Musician Angel Monumental 2 of 8
Original bronze by Jan and Joel Martel. Image of a stylized cubist Angel playing a harp.. Rare and famous figurative bronze made by Susse Frères foundry from Paris, signed, sealed, and numbered 2 of 8, circa 1925-30. The Martel brothers were amazing art deco artists with an unusual and interesting working relationship as brothers (read bio below). They could synthesize cubist, realisim, and classic interpretations as sculptors, painters, and fabricators. Signed J. Martel in bronze, this is an excellent and rare piece in its original condition.
Martels did serious work depicting music with major installations located in a permanent exhibition in France. In 1932, they created the Claude Debussy monument, which sits on the boulevard Lannes in Paris. The bronze offered here is quite large, certainly of museum quality in detail.
People always ask how many were made of this piece. As you can see from the foundry mark this is only 2 of 8 made.
Jan and Joël Martel (5 April 1896 – 16 March 1966) were French sculptors. The twins were born in Nantes and were among the founding members of Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM). Their works include ornamental sculptures, statues, monuments and fountains displaying characteristics typical of the Art Deco and Cubist periods.
Sharing the same workshop, their jointly created works were co-signed simply Martel. The brothers took part in a number of Paris exhibitions including the Salon des Indépendants, Salon d’Automne, Salon des Tuileries and the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1925, where their concrete trees featured in a collaboration with architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. In 1932, they created the Claude Debussymonument which sits on the boulevard Lannes in Paris. Between 1924-1926, Robert Mallet-Stevens designed a studio for the twins at 10 Rue Mallet-Stevens in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. The brothers died in 1966,
about six months apart from each other, one as the result of a long illness and the other in an accident.
On 8 April 1945, before the war had actually ended, Antony became the first town to pay homage to its liberator by giving the name of Division-Leclerc to one of its streets. The Martel Brothers were selected to create a memorial in honour of Leclerc. The statue, at the time figurative and stylised, represents the hero marching away from the screen of the piece which maps the route of the military from 1941 until entry into Paris.
