197 - Alexander ARCHIPENKO (1887–1964), after

Alexander ARCHIPENKO (1887–1964), after Geometric Nude Bronze cast with a nuanced green patina, signed, located, and dated “Paris 1914” Marked EA for Artist’s Proof Black marble base with white veining H. 66 cm (excluding base) Note: Alexander Archipenko (1887–1964) was an American sculptor and visual artist of Ukrainian origin, a major figure in the early 20th-century avant-garde. After studying art in Kiev and Moscow, he settled in Paris in 1908, in the heart of La Ruche, where he rubbed shoulders with Fernand Léger, Modigliani, and the pioneers of Cubism. He joined the Section d’Or group and began applying Cubist principles to three-dimensional art as early as 1912.His fundamental contribution lies in the integration of empty space as a structural element: the absence of material becomes a form in its own right, inverting traditional reliefs (the hollow represents the protrusion; the hole defines the head). He also invented “sculpto-paintings,” innovative reliefs combining plaster, wood, glass, and polychrome metal to blur the boundary between painted surface and volume.After emigrating to the United States in 1923, he pursued a prolific career as a teacher and experimenter, notably patenting the “archipentura,” a kinetic device that animates painted canvases. His explorations of negative space and the assembly of industrial materials profoundly influenced modern sculpture, paving the way for artists such as Henry Moore.