Francois-Emile Popineau (1887-1951) 'Messaouda'

About this piece

Stylish bronze of a young oriental girl, called 'Messaouda', a work by the French artist François-Emile Popineau. In 1927 this sculpture was exhibited at Galerie Bernheim Jeune at the Salon des Artistes Colonieux.

This sculpture was cast by the famous Parisian bronze founder Susse Frères. The bronze has a dark brown/black patina and is extensively signed, on the base with 'E. Popineau', on the side of the base is the foundry mark of Susse Frères, 'cire perdue', 'bronze', the letter 'Z' of the ciseleur and 'Susse Fres Edts. Paris'.
Susse Frères was so proud of this sculpture that they also advertised it in the 'Art et Décoration' in April, May and June 1930, it is also included in their book about the foundry.

Biography:
François-Emile Popineau (Saint-Amand-Montrand, 1887 - Paris, 1951), French sculptor.
Popineau spent his childhood in the Boischaut region, where he turned to art from an early age. He studied at the academy in Paris and worked there as a sculptor.
Shortly afterwards, he took part in the First World War.

After his return, he resumed his work as a sculptor and also taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Bourges, and later also in Rouen.
François Popineau has exhibited his work at various salons, such as Salon Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Salon d'Automne, Salon des Artistes Indépendants and Salon des Tuileries.

In 1924, the Conseil Supérieur des Beaux Arts awarded him a travel grant. In 1925 he won a gold medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne.

In 1927 he received the Prix Puvis de Chavannes, awarded by the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts for his statue La Baigneuse. He is proclaimed Sculptor of the city of Bourges.

Popineau made war memorials and statues for public parks in neoclassical style, especially for the city of Bourges. In 1945 he erected a monument there in memory of the French resistance movement during the Second World War.

Popineau belonged to the artist group La Stele that was founded in the 1920s by the Éditeur d'Art (art publisher) Arthur Goldscheider. His work in this group is attributed to Art Deco.

He died in 1951 in Paris of silicosis, a disease that affected many sculptors at the time.

Literatuur:
- "Art et Décoration", Avril à Juin 1939, modèle reproduit page 120 pour une publicité de la fonderie Susse.
- Victor Arwas, Art Déco, Academy Editions, New York, 1976 model afgebeeld op p. 162.
- Pierre Cadet, Susse Frères 150 years of sculpture, Susse Frères, Paris, 1992, afbeelding op p. 350.

Condition

Good, normal wear of patina for the age and use.