FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025 
Sculpture and architecture are at the heart of René Letourneur’s work. From the 1920s onward, he received major public commissions—his first for the façade of the church in Sailly-Saillissel (Somme), followed by the Monument to Simón Bolívar for the city of Quito, Ecuador, created in collaboration with Jacques Zwobada, and the reliefs for the Théâtre Jean Vilar in Suresnes.
The sale includes a Study for the Victory from the Monument to the Fallen of Both Wars in Alençon (1952–1954), estimated at €2,000–3,000, offering a rare insight into Letourneur’s creative process for such commissions. Designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Hourlier, this landmark of Alençon’s heritage is crowned by Letourneur’s Victory, a two-metre-high sculpture, and adorned with four reliefs honouring the victims of both World Wars, the Resistance, and civilian victims.
René & Jean Letourneur : 100 years of sculpture
O n April 4, Crait+Müller auctions will present a sale at Hôtel Drouot dedicated to the Letourneur Atelier. With 193 lots by René Letourneur and his son Jean, the auction spans a century of sculptural creation.
René Letourneur was deeply invested in both public and private commissions. He had a particular fascination for the female nude and sought to integrate his sculptures into their architectural surroundings, always capturing the spirit of the times. This sale includes several of his nude figures, including the highlight of the auction: Nu allongé (lot 105), a Pentelic marble sculpture estimated at €12,000–15,000. In this piece, Letourneur revisits the reclining figure, a theme he explored in La Seine, a study for the Pont du Pecq (circa 1962, lot 88), refining his approach with compact, light-catching forms.
Sculpture and architecture are at the heart of René Letourneur’s work. From the 1920s onward, he received major public commissions—his first for the façade of the church in Sailly-Saillissel (Somme), followed by the Monument to Simón Bolívar for the city of Quito, Ecuador, created in collaboration with Jacques Zwobada, and the reliefs for the Théâtre Jean Vilar in Suresnes.
The sale includes a Study for the Victory from the Monument to the Fallen of Both Wars in Alençon (1952–1954), estimated at €2,000–3,000, offering a rare insight into Letourneur’s creative process for such commissions. Designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Hourlier, this landmark of Alençon’s heritage is crowned by Letourneur’s Victory, a two-metre-high sculpture, and adorned with four reliefs honouring the victims of both World Wars, the Resistance, and civilian victims.
A politically engaged artist, René Letourneur served France during both World Wars and joined the Resistance in June 1940. At the same time, he pursued his sculptural work while developing a critical reflection on art, which he shared in his book La sculpture française contemporaine (1944).
From the 1960s onward, he focused increasingly on works for private collectors, sculpting marbles of great sensuality. A passionate teacher, he passed on his knowledge at the ENSET (École normale supérieure de l’enseignement technique) and trained his son Jean, who became a sculptor in his own right.
Bidders will also have the opportunity to acquire several works by Jean Letourneur, including La Flamme, a Portuguese pink marble sculpture estimated at €1,500–2,000, as well as Sable en mouvement, a luminous table in Carrara marble and optical fibres, estimated at €1,000–1,500.
From the 1960s onward, he focused increasingly on works for private collectors, sculpting marbles of great sensuality. A passionate teacher, he passed on his knowledge at the ENSET (École normale supérieure de l’enseignement technique) and trained his son Jean, who became a sculptor in his own right.
Bidders will also have the opportunity to acquire several works by Jean Letourneur, including La Flamme, a Portuguese pink marble sculpture estimated at €1,500–2,000, as well as Sable en mouvement, a luminous table in Carrara marble and optical fibres, estimated at €1,000–1,500.
