Henry Nocq (1869-1942) studied with sculptor Henri Chapu at the Beaux-Arts in Paris. His creativity flourished in many fields, including sculpture, goldsmithing, watercolor and medals.
Grand Prix de Rome in medal engraving, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français and was awarded the silver medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition.
He was one of the Five, along with Alexandre Charpentier, Félix Albert Anthyme Laubert, Charles Plumet and François-Rupert Carabin, and shared with them a vision that challenged the hierarchy between major and minor arts. This aspiration led to the creation of "L'Art dans tout", a multi-disciplinary artistic movement encouraging artists to invest in interior design, and to disseminate art and make it accessible to as many people as possible. He also created the sword of Marshal Joseph Joffre, presented on July 13, 1919 at Paris City Hall, and medals of Marshal Joffre and Generals Gouraud and Mangin.
His talent as a medallist led him to represent numerous personalities of his time, including Anatole France, Eugène Carrière and Yvette Guibert. The magazine Studio published a glowing review of his work in 1912.
The bas-relief we present is a portrait of Jean-Joseph Weerts, a painter from Roubaix who enjoyed a prosperous career, with numerous state purchases and a key role in the art scene of his time.
Frame dimensions : 30.5x27cm