Adrien Gaudez

ADRIEN ÉTIENNE GAUDEZ (Lyon, 1845–Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1902).
“Figure.”
Bronze.
Signed “A. Gaudez”.
Measurements: 44 x 23 x 18 cm.

Adrien Étienne Gaudez (Lyon, 1845 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1902) was one of the most renowned French sculptors of the second half of the 19th century, celebrated for his impeccable technique in working with bronze and his elegant freestanding figures. He enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1862, where he studied under the renowned sculptor François Jouffroy. He made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1864. He won major awards, including gold medals at the Paris World’s Fairs of 1889 and 1900, and was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1893.
During the Franco-Prussian War (1870), he was taken prisoner of war in Magdeburg, an experience that inspired the creation of several of his later commemorative and patriotic monuments.
His works are characterized by extraordinary precision in chiseling and a subtle patina finish (in shades of brown, gold, and polychrome).