Cyprien Godebski

CYPRIEN GODEBSKI (Poland, 1875- France, 1937).
"Genius and brute force, 1888.
Patinated bronze.
Signed "C. Godebski".
Measurements: 93 x 39 x 39 cm.
The sculpture referred to was conceived in 1888 and responds to the nineteenth-century tradition of representing abstract ideas and human feelings through allegorical figures. In this particular case, the work reflects with academic sensitivity a synthesis of formal idealism and symbolic content, typical of fin-de-siècle sculptural taste. A life-size marble version is preserved in the permanent collection of the Musée d'Art de Toulon, which underlines both the artistic value and the institutional recognition achieved by the piece.
The author of this work, Cyprien Quentin Godebski, also known as Cyprien (de la Frenaye) Godebski, was a leading figure in 19th century European sculpture. Born into a family of intellectuals of Polish origin, he was the son of the writer Franciszek Ksawery Godebski (1801-1869) and Ludwika Dezyderia Rymi?ska, as well as the grandson of the renowned poet Cyprian Godebski (1765-1809). This cultural heritage linked him from a young age to the literary and artistic circles of Europe, influences that would be reflected in his aesthetic sensibility and in the symbolic dimension of his production.
Godebski began his artistic training under the tutelage of the sculptor François Jouffroy, one of the great names of 19th century French academic sculpture. He made his debut at the prestigious Paris Salon in 1857, an event that marked the beginning of a sustained and wide-ranging exhibition career. His participation in the Salon remained constant until 1896, evidence of his relevance within the French art scene of his time.
During his career, Godebski briefly held teaching posts at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art, thus contributing to the dissemination of French academic canons in the Russian context. His work, distinguished by its technical quality, compositional refinement and allegorical sensibility, is scattered in public and private collections in many countries, including France, England, Russia, Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Ukraine, Monaco and Peru, which attests to his international projection and the appreciation that his sculptures generated beyond the French sphere.
On a personal level, Godebski maintained close ties with important figures in the European cultural life of his time. He was friends with influential writers, musicians and artists such as Stéphane Mallarmé, Franz Liszt, Gioacchino Rossini, Gabriel Fauré, Alphonse Daudet and the brothers Edmond and Jules de Goncourt. These relationships reflect the intellectual and artistic environment he frequented, which undoubtedly enriched his work and his vision of art as a transcendent and universal form of expression.