Small gilt bronze bust sculpture of a woman, Art Nouveau, 19th century, by Agathon Lénard
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Small sculpture signed Agathon Léonard* representing the bust of an elegant young woman wearing a rose attached to her dress, her wavy hair held by a ribbon, on an alabaster base, from the Art Nouveau period late 19th-early 20th centuries.
This bust is in good condition, signed behind the shoulder.
Note: minor damage and cracks in the alabaster, slight scratches and wear from age on the bronze, see photos.
Born in Lille in 1841 and died in Paris in 1923, Agathon Léonard was a sculptor of Belgian origin who became a naturalized French citizen. After studying art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lille and then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he settled permanently in Paris. There, after exhibiting at the Salon of 1868, he joined the Société des Artistes Français in 1887 and then the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1897. Deeply involved in the Art Nouveau movement, he exhibited numerous finely crafted pieces (medallions, bronze statuettes, and ceramics), notably at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he presented the famous centerpiece, "The Scarf Game," in Sèvres porcelain biscuit. He also worked in marble, quartz, and ivory. His works primarily focus on the human figure, especially the female figure. In 1901, he was named an honorary Rosati.
Highly rated artist on ArtPrice.