Bust Of A "young Peasant Woman" By A. Leonard In Biscuit Porcelain From The Musée National De Sèvres, Circa 1900

Exquisite biscuit porcelain figurine of a young peasant woman by Agathon Leonard, produced by the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. All the finesse and refinement of the renowned sculptor are evident in this feminine face. I leave it to you to judge. This piece is preserved in its original shagreen case. It is in perfect condition, a production worthy of the Manufacture Nationale. For the record: Léonard Agathon Van Weydevelde, known as Agathon Léonard, born in Lille in 1841 and died in Paris in 1923, was a sculptor of Belgian origin who became a naturalized French citizen. After his art studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lille, then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Agathon Léonard settled permanently in Paris where, after exhibiting at the Salon of 1868, he joined the Société des Artistes Français in 1887, then the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1897. Deeply involved in the Art Nouveau style, he exhibited numerous finely crafted pieces (medallions, bronze statuettes and ceramics), notably at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris where he presented the famous "Moster of the Scarf Game" in Sèvres porcelain biscuit. He also worked in marble, quartz, and ivory. His works are primarily centered around the human figure, especially female. In 1901, he was named an honorary Rosati. This piece is doubly signed, "A. LEONARD," with the famous cartouche of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres on the reverse. The bust is 28 cm high, with a case measuring 31 cm. It is in perfect condition, dating from around 1910. A true gem, bearing illustrious signatures and rare in its original case, which enhances its beauty.