René Letourneur

RENÉ LETORNEUR (Paris, 1898 - 1990).
"La Vague", 1974.
Relief in bronze. Exemplary 2/8.
Signed, dated and numbered.
Exhibitions: "European sculpture of the 20th century", European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, 2014.
Measurements: 95 x 60 x 20 cm.

The title, "La Vague", is a visual metaphor. The human figure is contorted in such a way that its body emulates the arc of a breaking wave. The raised knee and the arm around the head create a continuous, flowing curved line that guides the eye throughout the piece. Although made in 1974, the sculpture retains the Art Deco influence that marked Letourneur's beginnings. It can be seen in the simplification of the facial features (barely suggested with wavy lines in the hair) and in the softened but firm musculature. As a relief of great depth, the work plays with hallmarks of light and shadow on the surface of the bronze, emphasizing three-dimensionality despite being conceived for frontal viewing.
René Letourneur was a key figure in the transition from classicism to more modern and stylized forms in the 20th century. Winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1926, Letourneur is known for his ability to capture sensuality and movement through clean volumes.In 1916 he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and began working in the studio of Antonin Mercié. The outbreak of World War I interrupted his training. This was not resumed until 1921, when he was re-admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts under the tutelage of Jean Boucher. That same year he was awarded the Chenavard Prize and, in 1925, the gold medal at the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs. In 1926, after being awarded the Grand Prix de Rome, he moved to the Villa Medici and lived there until 1930. The contact, first with Italian statuary, and later with Greek, determined the definitive orientation of his aesthetics. His works, especially the female nudes, draw from classical sources, in order to reflect a serene sensuality. Between 1944 and 1947 he began to work in marble, which from then on became his favorite material.