Jean De Coen

JEAN DE COEN (Brussels, 1890- Ixelles,1979).
"Les minutes de la vie", 1917.
Marble.
Signed.
Measurements: 90 x 64 x 62 cm.
Exhibitions: "The European sculpture of the 20th century", European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, 2014.

This is a work of exceptional lyrical beauty and symbolic charge. The work presents a couple entwined in an eternal embrace on a naturalistic rock. It is not a fleeting contact, but a fusion of two bodies. The way the limbs intertwine creates a compact, circular structure that suggests protection and the unity of being in the face of the passage of time (hence the title "The Minutes of Life"). The base is rough and deliberately unfinished (non finito technique popularized by Michelangelo and Rodin). This creates a visual contrast between the hardness of the "wild" stone and the ethereal softness of the carved figures. This sculpture is a paradigmatic example of late French symbolism, where the transition from the stone block to the human figure reveals a profound poetic and technical sensibility. The work is based on the aesthetics of the non finito, leaving the base in a rough and telluric state that underlines the emergence of the naked bodies as an organic extension of the primordial matter. Through a soft and vaporous modeling, De Coen achieves an intimate fusion between the lovers, whose anatomy does not seek academic naturalism, but a formal synthesis that prioritizes the transmission of emotion and spiritual recollection. The light slides across the polished surfaces of the marble creating subtle chiaroscuro that emphasizes the tenderness of the embrace, recalling Rodin's influence in capturing inner movement and restrained feeling. The compositional balance rests on the pyramidal solidity of the piece, contrasting the brute force of the pedestal with the delicacy of the gestures and the serenity of the faces, giving the scene an atmosphere of lyrical timelessness. Ultimately, De Coen's production in this piece stands out for its ability to turn the heaviness of the material into a visual narrative about unity and loving communion.

De Coen was a multifaceted artist (sculptor, painter and art expert) highly respected in the artistic environment of Brussels and Ixelles. His work is characterized by a search for harmony and the expression of the most intimate feelings. He was part of a generation of Belgian sculptors who kept alive the tradition of carving in stone and marble, competing in elegance with the thriving school of Paris.