Le Faguays

"FAYRAL" BY PIERRE LE FAGUAYS (France, 1892–1962).
“Odalisque,” 1918.
Patinated and gilded tinplate.
Signed and dated “Le Faguays 18.”
Work cataloged in “Art Déco, Sculpture,” by Alastair Duncan, Citadelles & Mazenod, p. 170.
Measurements: 65 x 19 x 11 cm.

Created by Pierre Le Faguays under the pseudonym Fayral—one of the leading figures in French decorative sculpture of the Art Deco period—the work up for auction depicts a sensual odalisque with a stylized physique, a bare torso, and wide, Oriental-inspired trousers. Particularly striking is the treatment of the surfaces: the figure’s luminous gilding contrasts with the dark patina of her clothing, which is adorned with a rich golden floral motif that underscores the piece’s precious and ornamental character.

The figure brings together some of the most characteristic features of 1920s Art Deco: linear elegance, stylization of the female form, a taste for the exotic, and a combination of different finishes and textures. Orientalism, reinterpreted through a modern and sophisticated sensibility, allowed sculptors such as Le Faguays to create female figures with a strong decorative presence, intended for the refined interiors of the interwar period.

Pierre Le Faguays was a versatile and prolific French sculptor, creator of Art Deco and avant-garde pieces, who was primarily active in the 1920s and 1930s until his death in 1962. Particularly well-known are his ballerinas and young nymphs or maidens, with expressive faces and poses and movements full of grace and delicacy. He began exhibiting his works at the Paris Salon in 1922, where he was awarded a medal of honor in 1927. He specialized in small-scale sculptures made of sheet metal, wood, stone, and bronze. He was a close friend of Max Le Verrier, at whose bronze foundry he produced most of his models. He used two pseudonyms, “Fayral” and “Guerbe,” the names of his wife and mother, respectively. Le Faguays enjoyed popularity in his day thanks to the originality of his dancing figures, many of which were inspired by the statues of Tanagra (Greece).