Jan & Joël Martel (1896-1966) 'Homme agenouillé tenant une coupe'

About this piece

Beautiful pencil drawing by Jan and Joël Martel, this drawing is a detailed design for one of the reliefs for the monument to Claude Debussy.
In the period 1919-1932 the brothers worked on this monument in collaboration with the architect Jean Burkhalter (also brother-in-law of Joël).
Originally it would be placed in Saint-Cermain, but eventually it was placed along Boulevard Lannes in Paris (1932). It can still be admired there. Their monument received a lot of criticism because of the modern, according to some, radical designs. In 1923 they already showed a smaller version of their design at the Salon d'Automne.

The series of reliefs, for which this drawing is a design, were based on the music of Debussy, especially the work "Le Martyre de Saint-Sèbastien".
The male figure that appears in almost all drawings and reliefs is based on the dancer/philosopher François Malkovsky and the dancer/photographer Jean Borlin.

It is drawn on paper. The drawing is very beautiful and detailed with a beautiful stylization. This drawing was probably made in the period 1928-1932, which can be seen in the light shadow and the strong stylization. The work is not signed in pencil but has a poorly readable studio stamp "Atelier Martel".

Biografie:
Jan and Joël Martel (Nantes,1896-1966) were twin brothers and sculptors, they have always lived and worked together. Their work consisted of ornamental sculptures, statues, monuments and fountains. They worked in the characteristic style of the Art Deco and Modernism.

The woman, dance and music were common themes, but they also made beautiful animal figures.

At the 1925 World Exhibition 'Art Decoratifs' in 1925 the brothers Martel arranged in collaboration with Robert Mallet-Stevens a "Cubist Square" that caused a lot of commotion, by placing major concrete cubist trees, on the square. They were always progressive, which is not only shown in their work, but also in their material, they used a variety of materials, from traditional bronze, stone and wood, ceramics but also lakamé, a mixed kind of lacquer and plastic, nickel, concrete, steel, copper and other plastics.

Their beautiful studio was completely designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens. It was also the place where the 'l'Union des Artistes Modernes' (UAM) was founded in 1929.

The brothers worked together all their lives, they are also deceased shortly after each other in 1966. Their work is highly sought after and searched for and is part of several museum collections worldwide, such as Musée d'Arts Décoratifs (MAD) Paris and MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), New York and others..

Literatuur:
- Duncan, Alastair; "Art deco Complete - The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920's & 30's", Thames & Hudson, 2009. Page 118.
- Biography: Joël et Jan Martel, sculpteurs, 1896-1966. Paris, Gallimard/Electa, 1996.
- Catalogus; 'L'ensemble de dessins des frères Martel" - Mathieu Néouze, 2016. p. 24 -25.

Condition

Good, the work is professionally framed by a paper conservator.