Important Female Sculpture In Antique En Terre Cuite Signée - XIXeme a. Pigeon

Original terracotta sculpture signed A. PIGEON and dated to the 19th century, in the Art Nouveau style. A very beautiful work by this artist, depicting a nude woman in classical style, draped in fine fabric, with exquisite chiseling. The work is beautifully crafted, with the drapery and its designs superbly executed, as are the face and the proportions of the body's curves. The artist's signature is found on the base, along with the date 1884. Auguste PIGEON (1858-1893), sculptor and draftsman, was the son of the painter Jean Baptiste Pigeon. Until the age of 20, he worked in the Michaux-Rameroux furniture factory in Rochefort. He trained at the Academy of Louvain, and his remarkable talent earned him second prize in the Prix de Rome. The director of the Academy of Louvain commissioned him to create nine statues symbolizing the nine provinces for the monument to Leopold I in Laeken, but illness prevented him from completing this project. He designed the stair railing for Rochefort Town Hall and was involved in decorative work during the Rochefort festivals. At P. de Vigne's workshop, he created four granite statues for the base of the Bretdel and Conink monument in Bruges. He also created figures and busts, but his oeuvre remained limited due to his early death. His works are now highly sought after.