137 - Jean Osouf (1898–1996)

Jean Osouf (1898–1996) Nude Coralie Model created around 1936 Bronze with a brown-green patina Signed with the initials “J.O.” Bears the foundry’s stamp “CIRE / A. VALSUANI / PERDUE” Numbered “7/8” H. 49 cm A member of the Group of Nine alongside Paul Cornet, Raymond Corbin, Marcel Damboise, and others, Jean Osouf was self-taught. A bookseller and World War I hero, it was Aristide Maillol who convinced him of his talent for sculpture. Osouf then took classes at the Académie Scandinave, where he studied under Charles Despiau. After the 1937 World’s Fair, during which his statue *L’Éveil* received high praise from critics, he embarked on a full-fledged career as a sculptor influenced by medieval art. From 1935 to 1945, Jean Osouf created numerous works featuring his model, Coralie. These busts and heads provided the sculptor with an opportunity to study the young woman’s demeanor and character with delicate realism. Regarding these female busts, art critic Waldemar George remarked, “In his busts of young girls, Osouf recaptures the sinuous smile of the Angel of Reims—that ‘Vincian’ smile before its time, which is one of the emblems of French culture.” Related works: -Jean Osouf, Nude Statuette of Coralie, ca. 1936, bronze with brown patina, signed “J.O,” stamped “CIRE PERDUE / CLEMENTI,” H. 49 x W. 12 x D. 10 cm, Reims, Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 999.7.2; -Jean Osouf, *Baigneuse*, study for *Coralie*, 1940, bronze, signed “J.O,” stamped “E. GODARD / CIRE PERDUE,” numbered “4/8,” H. 31.5 x W. 13 x D. 13 cm, Reims, Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 999.7.3;