Joé Descomps (1869–1950) – *la Malicieuse* – Terracotta

It’s all in the gesture… and perhaps even more so in that smile.

Titled La Malicieuse, this delightful terracotta sculpture by Joé Descomps celebrates a free, sensual, and delicately mischievous femininity. The body, rendered with remarkable fluidity, seems to emerge from a billowing drape that the young woman holds in place with her fingertips. The pose is graceful, almost theatrical; her face, tilted slightly upward, hints at a discreet smile, full of charm and innuendo.

Here, Descomps captures with great finesse the eroticism of suggestion. Nothing is overdone: a posture, a curve, a hand resting on the breast… and above all, that delightfully mischievous expression that gives the work its entire personality.

The terracotta, preserved in its beautiful natural hue, lends a special warmth to the modeling and highlights the sculptor’s lively craftsmanship, the softness of the feminine curves, and the particularly successful movement of the drapery.

Joé Descomps-Cormier (1869–1950), whose real name was Emmanuel-Jules-Joseph Descomps, was a French sculptor, engraver, and master goldsmith. A student of Louis-Auguste Hiolin and the famous Alexandre Falguière, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français from 1891 to 1937, where his work was recognized on several occasions, culminating in his first medal in 1928. He also collaborated with the jeweler Frédéric Boucheron and was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1929.

His work gives pride of place to the female figure, which he portrays with grace, sensuality, and a distinct flair for movement. La Malicieuse is a charming illustration of this: a light, elegant, and subtly erotic sculpture, in which the sculptor’s talent is evident as much in the modeling of the body as in the expression of the face.

Measuring approximately 30 cm in height, this statuette is in perfect condition.

Natural terracotta.
Signed by Joé Descomps.
Height: approximately 30 cm.
Perfect condition.

A Malicieuse that certainly lives up to her name…