10 - Maurice BOUVAL (1863–1916)

Maurice BOUVAL (1863–1916) COLIN, bronze caster "Young Woman with Poppies" Bronze lamp with a brown patina depicting a reclining nude woman holding two poppy stems that serve as lamp arms Circular base in veined marble Signed “M Bouval” and marked with the Colin Paris foundry mark Circa 1900 H: 43 cm Bibliography: -Wolf Uecker, “Art Nouveau and Art Deco, Lamps and Candlesticks,” Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, 1986, page 37 -Alastair Duncan, “Paris Salons 1895–1914: Objects d’Art and Metalware,” vol. V, for a model reproduced in silver and exhibited at the Société des Artistes Français in 1898. A French sculptor and student of Alexandre Falguière, Maurice Bouval developed a body of work characteristic of the Art Nouveau aesthetic, in which the female figure harmonizes with the organic forms and sinuous lines of the plant world. This elegant bronze lamp with a brown patina fully embodies his sculptural vision. The female figure, nude and gracefully elongated, forms the shaft, while two blooming poppies make up the lampshade, in a subtle extension of the figure. The sensuality of the modeling and the fluidity of the floral motifs reveal a remarkable harmony between figurative sculpture and botanical ornamentation.