Jean OSOUF (1898-1996) Coralie mask Bronze with... Lot 275

Jean OSOUF (1898-1996) Coralie mask Bronze with bronze patina Signed "J. OSOUF Bears the founder's stamp "A. VALSUANI CIRE PERDUE Inscribed " E.A ". Height 23 cm, on a black marble base. 10 cm high Provenance: Jacques & Michèle GINEPRO Collection Related work : - Jean Osouf, Portrait de cCralie, jeune fille, circa 1940, patinated bronze, H. 32.3 x W. 17.5 x D. 19.1 cm, Reims, Musée des Beaux-arts, inv. 999.7.11. A member of the "Groupe des Neuf" along with Paul Cornet, Raymond Corbin and Marcel Damboise, among others, Jean Osouf was a self-taught artist. A bookseller and hero of the First World War, it was Aristide Maillol who convinced him of his talent for sculpture. Osouf attended the Scandinavian Academy, where he studied under Charles Despiau. After the 1937 World's Fair, where his statue L'Éveil (The Awakening) was well received by the critics, he embarked on a career as a sculptor influenced by medieval art. From 1935 to 1945, Jean Osouf created numerous works of his model Coralie. These busts and heads are an opportunity for the sculptor to study the girl's behavior and character with delicate veracity. Commenting on these female busts, art critic Waldemar George remarked: "Osouf's busts of young girls are reminiscent of the sinuous smile of the Angel of Rheims, that 'Vincian' smile avant la lettre, which is one of the emblems of French culture. Expert : Cabinet LACROIX & JEANNEST