Émile Fernand-Dubois

ÉMILE FERNAND-DUBOIS (1869–1952).
"Nude Girl."
White Carrara marble.
Signed.
One finger has been restored.
Measurements: 35 x 39 x 29 cm.

Freestanding sculpture in white marble depicting a nude young woman, seated on a rock with her legs crossed and her torso leaning forward.

Émile Fernand-Dubois (1869–1952) was a French sculptor active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. He is best known for his sculptures of female figures—often nudes in a sensual and naturalistic style—which he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français and which were produced in marble, bronze, and other materials. His figures are part of the early 20th-century French academic tradition, which emphasized the naturalness of pose and expression and moved away from neoclassical rigidity.

The treatment of the stone—left unpolished and bearing the marks of the tools—was a common technique in the academic sculpture of the time. It serves to highlight the contrast between the polished flesh and the rough stone, while also providing a natural base for the figure. Female nudes in resting poses—depicted as bathers, nymphs, or untitled figures—were in high demand among the bourgeoisie at the turn of the century.