Henry Fugere

HENRY FUGÈRE (France, 1872–1944).
“Oriental Dancer,” c. 1925.
Bronze with a wooden base.
Measurements: 41 cm; 50 cm (height with base).
A bronze sculpture cast using the lost-wax method, depicting a dancer dressed in a form-fitting, exotic-looking costume, with a stylized figure and an elegant, precarious pose, in the Art Deco style.
Henri Fugère was a French sculptor and medal engraver. Fugère studied sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jules Cavalier, Louis-Ernest Barrias, and Denys Puech. Fugère primarily embraced the Art Deco style and initially specialized in playful bronzes of idealized beauties, as seen in his figure of Salome. Other works feature realistic depictions of soldiers or laborers. For his chryselephantine works, he used materials such as bronze, ivory, and stone. He also worked as a medal engraver. Beginning in 1893, he exhibited regularly at the salons of the Société des Artistes Français, of which he was eventually elected vice president. In 1927, he received an honorable mention.