French Art Deco

Max Le Verrier

‘Boubou’ Desk Lamp

Patinated Bronze & Marble

ca. 1920 

DETAILS                Signed, original black & white marble base, period wiring and fittings.

DIMENSIONS       Height: 6.5 inches         Width: 3.5 inches         Depth: 5.5 inches 

ABOUT THE LAMP

A charming and very funny monkey named Boubou, excited by some suspicious sounds, decided to shine a lantern and discover the source and origin. The sculptural interpretation of this scene with a simple plot by a wonderful French sculptor turns a seemingly small trivial table lamp into a real work of art - with such skill the author conveys its emotional state, a mixture of fright and curiosity! 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Louis Octave Maxime Le Verrier (French, 1891 – 1973), known more commonly as Max Le Verrier, also known by the pseudonym Artus was a famous French sculptor. He was known for being a pioneer within the Parisian Art Deco movement, creating decorative art objects often made in bronze as well as historical sculptures.  

Max le Verrier was born on the in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in 1891. His mother was Belgian and his father was a Parisian goldsmith and jeweler on Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris. His parents divorced when he was 7 years old. Le Verrier attended several boarding schools (Collège de Verneuil sur Avre) and was a brilliant student. He grew an interest for drawing and art during his education.

However, his father thought that his future would be in farming, therefore he sent Max to study agriculture (St. Sever and La Réole) against Ma’s wishes. However, Max Le Verrier kept his liking for sculpture during his spare time lively. At the age of 16, he returned to Paris and did odd jobs to escape farm-work and to provide for himself. (His father emancipated him, and, as a result, he was left to fend for himself).

In 1909, when he was 18, he left for England. As a foreigner, it was very difficult for him to find a job in London; refusing to come back to France and admitting defeat, he lived very difficult days. From an early age he showed great promise as an artist and sculptor; and after serving in the French army during World War I, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Geneva. During his studies in Switzerland he met fellow sculptors Pierre le Faguays and Marcel Bouraine, who became close friends and with whom he collaborated for much of his life.

After completing his studies, le Verrier returned to France in 1919, and founded his own studio in Paris. It was at this time that he created his first popular sculpture, the famous 'Pelican' - which was the first of a long line of animal figures that bore his name. Also, Artus is Max Le Verrier's pseudonym.

Le Verrier was awarded a Gold medal for his sculptures at the 1925 Paris l'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels (the famous exhibition from which the term 'Art Deco' was derived). In 1926, le Verrier opened his own foundry, casting pieces for a wide range of French sculptors of the period, including Pierre Le Faguays, Marcel Bouraine, Janle, Denis, and Charles.

He gained a reputation for the very high quality work, exceptional detailing and accuracy of the items that his firm produced. Interestingly, the foundry did not cast in bronze as is commonly assumed, because le Verrier felt that he could achieve better detail by using his own proprietary mix of metals. At the same time as running his foundry, le Verrier continued to sculpt his own creations, and in the 1920's he became famous for his studies of woman as part of the Art Deco era's fascination with the ideal female form. His female figures are characterised by a lithe athleticism and perfect symmetry; and are highly regarded and much sought after. Le Verrier continued working throughout the 1930's - receving a medal of honor at the Paris International Exhibition in 1937 - before being arrested in 1944 for his resistance activities against the Nazi-backed regime. He reopened his studio after World War II, and continued to sculpt until his death in 1973 

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