LOUIS LEYGUE (1905-1992) - COLLECTION FRANCE CRUÈGE DE FORCE - Lot 109

Lot n° 109
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Estimation :
1500 - 2000 EUR
LOUIS LEYGUE (1905-1992) - COLLECTION FRANCE CRUÈGE DE FORCE - Lot 109
LOUIS LEYGUE (1905-1992) - COLLECTION FRANCE CRUÈGE DE FORCEVILLE (DAUGHTER OF THE ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHER) Le Tournoi, [1972], print numbered 1/8, possibly the only print produced to date. Sculpture. Bronze proof with medal patina. Signed Louis LEYGUE on the base at one end, numbered 1/8 and stamped GODARD Fondeur on the base at the other end. Length: 43cm Provenance: - Louis Leygue workshop. - France Cruège de Forceville; daughter of Pierre Cruège, designer, interior architect, close friend and author of the catalog raisonné of the sculptor's work. France Cruège de Forceville is the author of numerous publications and curator of exhibitions, a recognized specialist, CNE expert and collector. Related exhibitions and works: - Louis Leygue, sculptures et dessins - Paris, Musée Rodin, 1974. Our work, or another bronze proof of our sculpture model, exhibited at this event (no. 97). -Louis Leygue, sculpteur, 1905-1992 - Mont-de-Marsan, Musée Despiau-Wlérick, October 4, 2008 to February 9, 2009. Our work exhibited at this event. - Louis Leygue (1905-1992), sculptures d'atelier - Paris, Galerie France A. de Forceville, 2014. Our work exhibited at this event. Bibliography: - Louis Leygue, sculptures et dessins - Catalogue de l'exposition organisée en 1974 au Musée Rodin, Paris, Éditions Musée Rodin, Paris, 1974. Our work, or another bronze proof of our sculpture model, referenced and reproduced under catalog no. 97, unpaginated. - Pierre Cruège - Louis Leygue, sculpteur - Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000. Our sculpture model referenced under number 226 in the catalog raisonné; our work, or another bronze proof of our sculpture model reproduced on page 144. - Christophe Richard - Louis Leygue, sculpteur, 1905-1992 - Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Musée Despiau-Wlérick, Mont-de-Marsan (October 4, 2008 - February 9, 2009), Éditions Musées de Mont-de-Marsan, 2008. Our work reproduced on page 25. - Louis Leygue (1905-1992), sculptures d'atelier - Catalogue of the exhibition organized by Galerie France A. de Forceville, Paris, 2014. Our work reproduced on page 51. Louis Leygue (1905-1992) Gifted with artistic aptitude from an early age, Louis Leygue began his training at the École Germain-Pilon with Robert Wlérick (1882-1944), before moving on to the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and then the Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he frequented the studios of Jules Coutan (1848-1939) and Paul Landowski (1875-1961). His exceptional mastery was recognized in 1931 when, at just 26, he was unanimously awarded the Grand Prix de Rome - a distinction that paved the way for numerous public commissions. However, far from taking the easy way out, Leygue's talent was always at the service of his thoughts and his constantly evolving work. Inspired by the sculptural revival inherited from Rodin and by Cubist theories, he infuses his creations with a subtle dialogue between solids and voids. His figurative subjects, both human and animal, demonstrate this - particularly his equine subjects, which take center stage. In both his drawings and his sculptures, he develops an in-depth approach in which light and movement emerge from a complex process of cutting shapes. This "cubist preoccupation" is also to be found in his monumental work, notably in his Mémorial aux Déportés de l'Ain (1949) and his Monument au prisonnier politique inconnu (1953), in which a profoundly humanist approach is also asserted. A former deportee, Leygue's drawings and sculptures are true vectors for the expression of the human soul. It was in the context of occupied France that the artist met Pierre Cruège (1913-2003), his future biographer and close friend, at the home of their mutual friend Robert Cami (1900-1975) - another Grand Prix de Rome winner. A frequent visitor to his studio, Cruège was particularly struck by his Joueur d'olifant, which he commissioned on a large scale for his apartment. This work, which was to accompany him throughout his life as a veritable "totem" of their friendship and mutual admiration, made him the sculptor's first private buyer. It inaugurated an important collection, subsequently assembled by his daughter France Cruège de Forceville, some of which is now on show at auction.
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