341 - Edouard Chassaing (French, 1895–1974)

Edouard Chassaing (French, 1895–1974) and Madeleine Sougez (French, 1891–1945) Cubist Dancer, c. 1923–1926 Carved wood. Incised signature on one side: “Sougez / Chassaing.” H 55.5, W 16, D 7.5 cm. Cracked grain. Related work: Piasa auction, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, December 13, 2007, lot 37, featuring a plaster work by Edouard Chassaing with a similar composition. Bibliography: - Alain-René Hardy, “Primavera, 1912–1972: Printemps Art Studio,” Dijon, Faton, 2014, reproduced on p. 267. - Marc Vellay, “Pierre Chareau: Architect and Furniture Designer: 1883–1950,” Paris, Editions du Regard, 1986, p. 39, featuring a period photograph taken from Marcel L’Herbier’s 1926 film “Le Vertige.” Beginning in 1919–1920, Edouard Chassaing and Madeleine Sougez put their talents to work for the Primavera art workshops at Le Printemps. In addition to mass-produced ceramic pieces, they regularly exhibited one-of-a-kind works at the Primavera booths, notably at the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs. Thus, “creator and maker merge” in the wood and plaster sculptures of this artistic duo. The avant-garde nature of their sculptures clearly reflects the modernity of their time. Robert Mallet-Stevens thus placed a plaster “Cubist Dancer”—from the collection of artist Jean Burkhalter—in the sets of the film *Vertige*, directed by Marcel L’Herbier in 1926, alongside furniture by Pierre Chareau and ceramics by Sainte-Radegonde.