Raoul Larche, Yonne, Art Nouveau Bronze

Raoul LARCHE (1860–1912)
The Yonne
Lost-wax cast bronze with green patina.
Signed on the base, with the Susse Frères, Paris foundry mark.
Dimensions: 46 × 85 × 37 cm (18.1 × 33.5 × 14.6 in).

This graceful reclining female figure personifies the river Yonne, a tributary of the Seine. Resting on her side among reeds, her silhouette unfolds with supple, natural movement, embodying both serenity and the vitality of water. Raoul Larche, a master of the Art Nouveau style, here unites the sensuality of the female form with decorative lyricism, achieving a perfect synthesis of nature and allegory.

The model was created for the monumental fountain “Miroir d’eau, la Seine et ses affluents”, exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1910 and installed in the gardens of the Champs-Élysées near the Grand Palais. In this ensemble, each tributary of the Seine is represented by a female figure, blending fluvial mythology with Symbolist aesthetics.