Pierre Le Faguays

PIERRE LE FAGUAYS (Nantes, France, 1892 - Paris, 1962).
"Athlete with spear", c. 1930.
Patinated bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 37 x 56 x 2 cm.
This sculpture in patinated bronze, attributed to Pierre Le Faguays and made around 1930, is a paradigmatic example of the exaltation of the male body and athletic dynamism that characterized much of the sculptural production of the Art Deco period. The figure, represented in a moment of maximum physical tension, appears advancing with a controlled impulse over a rock formation that acts as a visual and narrative support. The athlete, captured in an almost feline posture, extends one arm forward to cling to the relief while the other projects backward holding a long spear; this opposing diagonal generates a balance between contained energy and expansion, reinforcing the sensation of imminence of the throw or of a movement yet to be completed.
The anatomical modeling is precise and meticulous, revealing the musculature in full contraction and emphasizing the power of the gesture. The slight drapery around the hip introduces a rhythmic detail, whose undulation suggests the movement of the air and accentuates the liveliness of the scene.
Le Faguays was born in Nantes (France). He studied at the Paris Salon and in Geneva (Switzerland), and was a member of the Salon, La Stele and Evolution groups. He exhibited regularly in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, during the golden age of the Art Deco movement. He was an outstanding sculptor and his work is often praised for its high quality and attention to anatomical precision. He also made designs for Goldscheider in Paris under the brand name "La Stele". He worked with a variety of materials: ivory, bronze, stone, wood, alabaster and ceramics. In 1927 he received the French Medal of Honor.
Le Faguays used, in addition to his own name, the pseudonyms Fayral and Guerbe, which were the surnames of his mother and wife. He studied with his friend Max Le Verrier and was good friends with both Marcel Bouraine and Max Le Verrier and, in fact, the Le Verrier foundry produced many of Le Faguays' statues. The three had studied together at the Geneva School of Fine Arts and were lifelong friends.