Henry Arnold

HENRY ARNOLD (Paris, 1879 - 1945).
"Seated young woman".
Bronze.
Signed and with foundry stamp.
Measurements: 56 cm high.

In this sculpture in bronze, Henry Arnold represents a young woman seated, collected on herself in an attitude of intimacy and self-absorption. The figure, of soft volumes and contained modeling, combines the sensuality of the female nude with a closed, introspective composition, in which the body is integrated with the cylindrical support.

The work evidences the French sculptural sensibility of the interwar period, situated between the symbolist heritage, modern formal purification and Art Deco taste. Arnold avoids excessive dramatism, yet creates a composition of great emotional charge, conveying an image of extreme fragility and beauty. He constructs the figure through smooth surfaces, dark patina and an elegant anatomy, reinforced by the contrast between the polished body and the more vibrant treatment of the hair.

In its balance of intimacy, formal refinement and casting quality, "Seated Young Woman" is a remarkable example of French figurative sculpture of the first half of the 20th century.

Henry Arnold was a French sculptor trained in the Parisian artistic environment. He began his career as an ornamentist and participated in decorative works at the Petit Palais before entering the École des Beaux-Arts in 1898. He exhibited at the Salon d'Automne and the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and was associated with the circle of Lucien Schnegg, along with sculptors such as Despiau, Drivier and Dejean. His work "Diane accroupie" is preserved in the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris, and other pieces of his were acquired by the French State.