Denys Puech (1854-1942), Mermaid

Bronze with a medallion patina, signed "D. PUECH" and located in Rome.
Cast during the artist's lifetime and stamped by the founder Ferdinand Barbedienne.
Circa 1890

Dimensions:
Height 49 cm
Width 28 cm
Depth 24 cm

Group representing the abduction of a young man by a siren (a love allegory) imagined and sculpted by Denys Puech during his stay in Rome at the Villa Medici between 1887 and 1889. The base of the bronze bears the sculptor's name, the place of creation: Rome, and the stamp of the founder Ferdinand Barbedienne, Paris. The medallion patina is original and the whole is in very good condition. Sent to Paris, this sculpture earned him a first-class medal at the 1890 Salon des Artistes Français. The same marble model is now on display at the Musée d'Orsay, and a second copy is also on display at the Musée Denys Puech in Rodez.

Biography of Denys Puech (1854-1942)
Born in Gavernac (Aveyron) in 1854, Denys Puech was a student of de Chapu and Jouffroy at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His talent allowed him to exhibit at the Salon from 1875 onward. He was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1884, became a member of the Artistes Français in 1888, and a member of the institute in 1905. A major artist from the late 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century, he won the Grand Prix at the Exposition Universelle, and his works are featured on some of Paris's finest buildings. Commander of the Legion of Honor in 1908, he directed the Villa Medici from 1921 to 1933. Paul Landowski was his successor.

Biography of the Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry
Maison Barbedienne was a famous 19th-century foundry, which quickly achieved great renown for its statues and objets d'art. A bronze workshop, the company nevertheless worked with other craftsmen and associated its name with a wide variety of works, particularly furniture. Present at all the World's Fairs of its time, Maison Barbedienne was regularly recognized with awards, notably at the 1855 World's Fair, where it received the Grand Medal of Honor.

Bibliography
Pierre Kjellberg, Les bronzes du XIXe siècle. Dictionary of Sculptors, Paris, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, 1989, pp. 37-38;
Bernard Metman, Small Sculpture in the 19th Century. The Editors, Archives of French Art, 1989, vol. XXX, pp. 184, 195.