14 - Léon INDENBAUM. (1890–1981)

Léon INDENBAUM. (1890–1981) "Portrait of a Woman" Bronze with black patina. Signed on the neck on the right side. No foundry mark. H: 34 cm (without base) We would like to thank Mr. Goiran, the artist’s heir, who kindly confirmed the authenticity of the work and provided us with valuable information. Related work: A marble sculpture (1929) depicting the same mask, possibly commissioned by Jacques Doucet. Born in Russia into a Jewish family, he moved to Paris, the artistic capital of Europe, in 1911, and settled at La Ruche on Passage Dantzig, a breeding ground for young artists of the future “École de Paris”: Soutine, Krémègne, Chagall, Modigliani, Kikoïne, Zadkine… He worked with the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle between 1914 and 1920, from whom he adopted archaic-style simplifications. He was noticed by the collector Jacques Doucet, who commissioned a large sculpture from him for his private home. In 1915, he created a “cubist” portrait of Foujita. Soutine, the sculptor Chana Orloff, Rembrandt Bugatti, and Jeanne Hébuterne, Modigliani’s partner, would also serve as his models. He also worked for a time for Marcel Coard, an architect and interior designer who was emblematic of Art Deco. Our sculpture was likely created around 1919–1929, a period during which he was employed almost exclusively by the fashion designer Jacques Doucet. This bronze sculpture draws on the tradition of the portrait-mask, a tradition revived by the Symbolists in the late 19th century and brilliantly carried forward by Rodin and Bourdelle. Here, the mask becomes a means of expressing a mysterious presence, an inner world, or even a spiritual power, rather than a mere likeness. Experts: Frédérick and Pauline CHANOIT