Genet - Gaston Le Bourgeois (1880-1956)

Rare bronze with a nuanced dark brown patina
artist's life work

France
circa 1925
height 9,8 cm.

Biography :
Gaston Etienne Le Bourgeois (1880-1956) known as Gaston Le Bourgeois was a French sculptor. From adolescence he worked in the father's workshop and traveled throughout France for the restoration of churches, statues and various monuments. Once married, he settled in Paris rue du banquier (13th arrondt) where his neighbor and friend is none other than the animal sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti.

Le Bourgeois then moved to Dammartin-en-Goële (77) from 1910 to 1914. Reformed because of the loss of an eye following a stone shard, he created the "Atelier des Mutilés" which consisted, with a adapted tool to make wooden toys, furniture, and where he collaborated with François Carnot (curator of the Museum of Decorative Arts) and Henri Rapin (Decorator). In 1918 he finally moved to Rambouillet (78) on a larger property, which he converted to have different workshops (wood, stone, log storage, machinery).

In 1921 Le Bourgeois had his first solo exhibition at the Pavillon de Marsan at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Participating in the 1925 international exhibition, he met with great success.
Between these various exhibitions he responded to numerous commissions from the State and from individuals such as the couturier Jacques Doucet, the silk worker from Lyon Ducharne, Ch. Stern… and until 1939 produced important works to adorn both liners and cathedrals jointly with architects or decorators such as Ruhlmann.

At that time Gaston Le Bourgeois also devoted part of his time to teaching sculpture at the school of the Central Union of Decorative Arts. The war once again interrupted his activity and tested him psychologically. Le Bourgeois then turned more towards religious works and animal sculpture.