Antoni Bofill

ANTONI BOFILL (Barcelona, 1875 - 1939).
Pair of vases "Naiads in the waterfall".
Patinated bronze.
Signed.
Weight: 12.500 g.
Measurements: 37 x 16 x 15 cm.

Elegant pair of Art Nouveau vases in patinated bronze, faithful representatives of this artistic movement. The bulbous bodies are decorated in relief with a naturalistic and dynamic scene: naiads (aquatic nymphs) bathing in a lake with water jets and frogs. The pieces are signed.

Bofill trained at the Escuela de Lonja in Barcelona before settling permanently in Paris. There he developed a successful, if largely commercial, career producing bronze figures (realistic, orientalist, animals and allegories) for decorative objects such as clocks, bibelots and bookends. His style evolved from Art Nouveau to an aesthetic close to Art Deco, and he won an honorable mention at the prestigious 1902 Salon des Artistes Français. Although his work is little known in purely artistic circles, his focus on mass production ensures a notable presence of his pieces in the world market for decorative elements. Bofill is often remembered for the influence he exerted on the training of his assistant and friend, fellow sculptor Manolo Hugué.