Charles Collet

CHARLES COLLET (Onex, Switzerland, 1902 – Barcelona, 1983).
“Female Nude.”
Terracotta.
Signed.
Measurements: 36 x 19 x 11 cm.

The anatomical synthesis and the integration of the body into a geometric structure link this nude to Charles Collet’s artistic language and his assimilation of Cubism. The curves of the torso contrast with the straight planes that frame it, resulting in a composition with an architectural character. The barely defined face and the simplification of the limbs reinforce this search for essential forms, characteristic of his evolution toward a figurative style bordering on abstraction. The rough texture of the terracotta further accentuates the expressiveness of the material.

Charles Collet studied sculpture in Geneva from 1918 to 1923, moving to Barcelona that same year, where he would spend the rest of his career. In 1929, he secured a position as a professor at the Massana School, where his students included artists such as Xavier Valls. Throughout his career, Charles Collet held exhibitions in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, as well as in Milan and the Swiss cities of Geneva, Zurich, and Lucerne, among other places. He also participated in every edition of the Salón de Mayo in Barcelona between 1957 and 1966. His work is currently represented in the MACBA’s collection.