Raymond Léon Rivoire

RAYMOND LÉON RIVOIRE (Cusset, 1884- Paris, 1966).
"Female head".
Bronze. Green marble base.
Signed.
With stamp of function Susse Frères Ed, Paris.
Measurements: 25.5 cm (head height); 31 cm (total height with marble).

As we appreciate on this occasion, Raymond Léon Rivoire's heads are characterized by an expressive and synthetic style, with a strong simplification of the forms and a forceful modeling. They present marked features, solid volumes and a certain geometrization that reduces the details to the essential, concentrating the attention on the structure and intensity of the face. They often convey a sense of sobriety, introspection and strength, with worked surfaces that retain the imprint of modeling, bringing dynamism and sculptural character.

Raymond Léon Rivoire trained at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts under the tutelage of Jean-Antoine Injalbert. He began exhibiting in 1905 at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he won important awards, such as the silver medal in 1921 and the gold medal in 1929, and developed an outstanding international career. His work, of a figurative nature and partly linked to the Art Deco style, includes sculptures in bronze, stone and ivory; among his best known works is Diane au lévrier (also called Artemis), as well as a monumental figure of Neptune made for the ocean liner Normandie. In 1932 he was named Knight of the Legion of Honor and spent his last years in an artists' residence near Paris.