“The Lock” Antique Art Deco French Bronze Sculpture by Pierre Le Faguays

PIERRE LE FAGUAYS
French, 1892-1962

"The Lock"

Verdigris patinated bronze | signed verso P Le Faguays, sealed with LN Paris foundry cachet
Cold-stamped BRONZE and numbered 118

28 1/2" W x 8" D x 16 7/8" H

An incredibly fine example of "The Lock" by Pierre Le Faguays, the model is a perfect embodiment of essence of the Art Deco period capturing a canal worker at the moment of full torsion as he uses the weight of his body to rotate the huge wooden lever.

Cast by the foundry of J. Lehmann, stamped to the reverse with his circular cachet noting "LN Paris JL" (which stands for "Les neveux de J. Lehmann"), the present example is the large version of this model and a difficult example to find. It features a fabulous surface texture and complex overall verde patination with hints of brown, caramel, black and yellow.


PIERRE LE FAGUAYS
Born in 1892 in Nantes, France, Pierre Le Faguays would become famous for his contribution to the Art Deco movement. His education under the guidance of James Vibert at the Geneva University of Art and Design was pivotal in shaping his artistic style. Le Faguays' work began to gain recognition shortly after his first exhibition at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1922, a key event that marked the onset of his most productive years.

In 1926 and 1927, Le Faguays received honorable mentions that served as public acknowledgments of his growing stature. His choice of materials was diverse, ranging from bronze and terracotta to more exotic mediums like ivory and alabaster. His sculptures often depicted lithe female figures and many of his models are reportedly influenced by the terracotta figurines of ancient Tanagra in Greece.

Le Faguays regularly collaborated with his peers in the burgeoning and highly active artistic community in France, contemporaries that were also working to promote the new modernist vision that became recognized as the Art Deco movement. He co-founded the "Stele and Evolution Group" with Maurice Bouraine, working alongside artists such as Sibylle May and Edouard Cazaux. This collaboration worked to extend his influence on an entire generation of working artists while his public statuary and monuments were highly influential on the general public of the era.

His collaboration with several publishers and foundries - including well-known names like Arthur Goldscheider, the house of Etling and the renowned galleries and foundry of the Susse Brothers - was instrumental in broadening the distribution and influence of his sculptures. Le Faguays' presented his work extensively at the major French exhibitions, including the Paris Salons, the Expositions des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels in Paris and the Exposition Universelle.

He died in Paris on September 8th of 1962.

Condition: Exquisite original condition. Our conservator went over the sculpture carefully, cleaned the surface, braised an open seam in the base closed (now invisible), sealed the surface in wax and polished. Ready to place.

ref. 406RST29D