Marble Bas-relief - Portrait Of A Man In Profile, Signed Michel De Tarnowski (1870-1946)

Large bas-relief in white marble (probably Carrara marble), finely sculpted with a profile portrait of a man. Signed lower left M de Tarnowski and dated 97 (1897). France, 19th century. Height: 42.5 cm. Width: 29.5 cm. Weight: over 20 kg. (Good condition, very slight scratch and tiny chips along the edge). Michel de Tarnowski (1870-1946) was a French sculptor, primarily active in Nice and the United States, whose work is characterized by great technical skill and a classical style inherited from his Parisian masters. Born in Nice to Russian and American parents, he initially pursued medicine before typhoid fever led him to his true passion: sculpture. He trained in Paris with renowned sculptors such as Jules Dalou and Alexandre Falguière. From 1894 onwards, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français. At the beginning of the 20th century, he settled in New York where he became a professor of sculpture at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. There, he created numerous busts for American high society. He returned to France around 1910 and became a leading sculptor on the French Riviera. He is responsible for several iconic works, particularly in the public spaces of Nice: - The decoration of the façade of the Hôtel Negresco in Nice (contract signed in 1912). - The pediment of the Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture. - Numerous war memorials after the First World War (notably in Nice-Cimiez, Cannes, and Sainte-Menehould). - The Two Friends (1901) and Surprise (1910), held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice. Around 1939, he was struck by sudden blindness, which forced him to cease all artistic activity. He died in Nice in 1946. Today, a street in his hometown bears his name in tribute to his cultural contribution.