Raoul François Larche

RAOUL FRANÇOIS LARCHE (Italy, 1860- 1920).
"Young girl dancing", c. 1900.
Marble.
Measurements: 101 x 55 x 41 cm.
The work reflects the influence of Art Nouveau, a style with which Larche is closely linked. The curved lines, the integration between figure and movement, and the inspiration in organic forms turn the young woman into an almost ethereal image, far from the traditional academic rigidity. Despite being made of marble, a material associated with permanence, the sculpture seems to defy its own material by suggesting a lively and spontaneous dance, showing the sculptor's technical mastery and his interest in capturing the ephemeral beauty of movement.
Son of the sculptor Guillaume Larche, F.R. Larche's sculptural work oscillated between two styles, neo-baroque and modernist. After attending the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, he was admitted to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a student of François Jouffroy, Auguste Dumont, Alexandre Falguière, Jean-Léon Gérôme and Eugène Delaplanche.
He started at the Salon des Artistes de Paris in 1884 and exhibited regularly until 1911. In 1886, he won the second Grand Prix de Rome for sculpture. Larche's output includes various figures of Christ, although he is best known for his numerous female figures, be they knots or women in beautifully draped dresses. Larche was one of the many artists inspired by the dancer Loie Fuller. One of his best known works is a portrait of Fuller in one of her signature serpentine dance dresses. Another of his most famous pieces is the symbolist sculptural group entitled Les Violettes.