Maurice De Korte

MAURICE DE KORTE (Belgium, 1889-1971)
"Mercurius - Mercure", 1926
Patinated bronze.
Unique work.
Siena marble pedestal.
Signed and dated on the front of the base: "M. De Korte 1926".
On the left side of the base, the legend: "Nul n'arrive sans peine".
On the back of the base, foundry stamp: FONDERIE BATARDY BRUXELLES.
Marked with the inscription: "Exemplaire unique".
Museums: Doornik/Tournai, Luik/Liège.
Measurements: 80 x 19 x 18 cm (sculpture); 6 cm (base height); 87 cm (total height with base).

Elegant representation of Mercury (Hermes), classical god of commerce and eloquence, conceived by Maurice De Korte in 1926 within an aesthetic that combines academic tradition and symbolist sensibility typical of Belgian sculpture between the wars.

The figure, of harmonious canon and polished modeling, presents a subtle torso twist that introduces contained dynamism. The winged helmet and the caduceus identify the messenger god, while the cloth held in the hand provides compositional balance and reinforces the verticality of the whole. The surface of the bronze, finely patinated, enhances the anatomical volumes and adds tonal depth.

The work is signed and dated on the front, incorporates the lateral motto "Nul n'arrive sans peine" (No one arrives without a comb) and retains on the back the stamp of the prestigious Fonderie Batardy of Brussels, a guarantee of technical quality in the first third of the 20th century. The inscription "Exemplaire unique" underlines the singular character of the piece.

Maurice De Korte was a Belgian sculptor trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels with Victor Rousseau, Paul Du Bois and Émile Fabry. He won the second Godecharle Prize in 1914 for his bas-relief Funérailles. From 1923 to 1958 he was a professor of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai. He participated in exhibitions in Belgium and created notable works such as Agriculture and Industrie for the Brussels Universal Exhibition of 1935. His sculptures are present in public spaces and in museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Tournai and the Museum of Modern Art in Liège.