René Collamarini (1904–1983) - “seated Bather”

Bronze cast with a nuanced brown patina and a golden-brown background
Lost-wax casting by Attilio Valsuani
Signed in wax “COLLAMARINI” on the right plinth
Bears the “A. Valsuani lost-wax” on the back right

Circa 1945/50

Dimensions:
Height: 66 cm
Width: 30 cm – Depth: 41 cm

Biography

French sculptor and medalist

René Collamarini was born in Paris on January 5, 1904, to an Italian father, and died in Saint-Mandé on June 18, 1983.

After leaving school at the age of fifteen to work in a factory and then at a textile company, he took evening classes in drawing and modeling. In 1921, he enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, in the studio of sculptor Jean Boucher, where he remained for seven years. At the same time, he worked as an assistant to a practitioner and learned the art of stone carving. He developed a preference for direct carving at a very early stage—a method that involves sculpting the material directly, without using an intermediate model. He considered this to be the very essence of sculpture, as it forces the artist to start with a block of stone and gradually reveal its forms.

In 1930, he was awarded the Blumenthal Prize, alongside sculptors such as Robert Couturier and Maurice Georges Poncelet. He exhibited at the Salon des Tuileries as early as 1929, then at the Salon des Indépendants in 1933, where he successfully presented the plaster cast of his statue of the poet François Villon.

In 1931, he moved into the “Fusains” studio at the foot of Montmartre Hill, where he became a neighbor of the painter Pierre Bonnard. He remained there until the end of his life. In 1933, he met the actress Mona Dol, who became his partner.

In 1937, René Collamarini participated in the decorative program for the International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques in Modern Life in Paris. Notably, he created the bas-reliefs Ceramics and Glass, intended for the façade of the Palais de Chaillot, as well as the statue of Autumn.

During World War II, when major commissions were scarce, he accepted a commission from Gaston Baty, director of the Théâtre Montparnasse, for whom he carved wooden puppet heads. In 2013, thirty-seven of these puppets were acquired by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

After the Liberation, he participated in the reconstruction of Amiens and Abbeville. In collaboration with architects, he created monumental sculptures intended primarily for schools and hospitals. His work reflects a desire to integrate sculpture into modern architecture. Over the course of his career, his style evolved toward a bolder stylization, at times verging on abstraction.

Alongside his sculptural work, he created numerous portraits, particularly of actors and painters in his circle. He also designed a table centerpiece for the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory as well as several medals for the Paris Mint.

A regular participant in the major art exhibitions of his time, he frequently exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Indépendants, the Salon d’Automne, and the Salon des Tuileries, as well as at the Salon des Peintres Témoins de leur Temps in the 1950s.

From 1959 to 1974, René Collamarini taught direct-carving sculpture at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. His teaching style, characterized by great pedagogical freedom, humanity, and generosity, earned him the esteem and affection of his students.

An artist deeply connected to his materials, exploring volume and the dialogue between sculpture and architecture, René Collamarini left behind a diverse body of work, ranging from portraiture to monumental sculpture. Today, the Fondation de Coubertin holds the largest collection of his sculptures.

Galerie Paris-Manaus