Charles Pierre Van der Stappen

CHARLES PIERRE VAN DER STAPPEN (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium, 1843 – Brussels, 1910).
“Female Bust.”
Bronze on a wooden pedestal
Signed, with foundry mark.
Measurements: 58 x 57 x 30 cm; 171 cm (total height with base).

The work reflects the transition between expressive realism and Symbolism/Art Nouveau characteristic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Belgium, a movement in which Van der Stappen was a key figure. Notable are the fluidity and texture in the rendering of the drapery over the chest, as well as the delicately modeled contrast in the woman’s facial features and her updo.
Charles Pierre Van Der Stappen studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (1859–1868) and completed his training in Paris, Florence, and Rome. His works span a wide range of styles: from Academicism and Realism to Art Nouveau (in fact, his best-known work is a chrysoelephantine sculpture titled *The Mysterious Sphinx*. In 1893, he collaborated with Constantin Meunier on the project for the 52 outdoor statues at the Brussels Botanical Garden.