Joe Descomps

JOE DESCOMPS CORMIER (France, 1869 - 1950).
"God Bacchus".
Bronze with blackish brown patina, marble base (Patricia Green).
Signed Cormier E.J.J. With inscription "Cire Perdue" and foundry stamp Leblanc Barbedienne F a Paris.
Measurements: 51 cm (height); 4 x 16 x 16 cm (base); 56 cm (total height with base).

In this piece, the classical iconography associated with the god Bacchus merges with a formal synthesis of the face, transforming the representation into a male figure of deep introspection. The sculpture exudes a timeless serenity that nevertheless dialogues with modernity through the fluidity of its contours, integrating the balance of the ancient canon with the avant-garde aesthetic sensibilities of its time.

Joe Descomps was a French sculptor active in Paris in the early 20th century, specializing in small bronze and ivory figures, as well as chryselephantines. He trained with the sculptor H. Hiolin, and repeatedly attended the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français, of which he became a member in 1893. Dedicated to Art Nouveau between 1880 and 1910, his work finally evolved towards Art Deco, a style in which he stood out as one of its maximum representatives. Currently Descomps has works in museums around the world, such as the one dedicated to Mucha in Prague, the Metropolitan in New York or the Mingei International Museum in Hawaii, as well as in important private collections around the world.