Maurice Guiraud

MAURICE GUIRAUD RIVIÈRE (Toulouse, 1881- 1947)
"The force", 1930.
Patinated bronze
Signed
Measurements: 42 x 80 x 22 cm.

Maurice Guiraud-Rivière was an outstanding French painter, draftsman and sculptor whose work is fully inscribed in the Art Deco movement. Nephew of the sculptor Théodore Rivière, Guiraud-Rivière received a solid artistic training at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, where he was a disciple of Antonin Mercié, also a teacher of his uncle.

His artistic career began to consolidate from 1907, when he began to participate in the prestigious Salon des artistes français, as well as in the Salon des humoristes. His sculptural production, in particular, emblematically reflects the characteristics of the Art Deco style, through the creation of numerous statuettes, worked mainly in bronze or using the chryséléphantin technique.

Many of his sculptures were published by the renowned house Etling, active since 1909 and specialized in the publication of bronze pieces within the Art Deco movement. Between 1911 and 1923 he also collaborated with the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, designing models for this famous institution dedicated to artistic porcelain. His versatility as a creator was also manifested in the field of graphic humor and orientalist-inspired painting, as evidenced by his watercolors made during a trip to Morocco in 1933. Upon his return, he produced several advertising posters for Chemins de fer du Maroc and Air France, combining graphic design with a modern and attractive visual language.

Maurice Guiraud-Rivière left a wide and varied oeuvre, marked by technical refinement and creative adaptation of the stylistic codes of his time. His legacy is an integral part of the visual imaginary of Art Deco and his work continues to be appreciated both for its aesthetic value and its contribution to the decorative arts of the 20th century.