The mermaid - Denys Puech (1854-1942)

Bronze group edited around 1893 after an original marble representing the abduction of an ephebe by a mermaid (allegory of love) imagined and sculpted by Denys Puech during his Roman stay at the Villa Medici between 1887 and 1889. On the base of the bronze appears the name of the sculptor, the place of creation (of the original marble): Rome, the stamp of mechanical reduction Collas and the mark of the founder Barbedienne Paris. The patina medal is original and the whole in very good condition of presentation. Sent to Paris, this sculpture was awarded a first class medal at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1890. The original marble can be seen today at the Musée d'Orsay, and a second copy is also on display at the Musée Denys Puech in Rodez.
Born in Gavernac (Aveyron) in 1854, Denys Puech was a pupil of Chapu and Jouffroy at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His talent allowed him to exhibit at the Salon as early as 1875. A major artist from the end of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century, he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Universal Exhibition and his works can be found on the most beautiful Parisian buildings. Commander of the Legion of Honor in 1908, he directed the Villa Medici from 1921 to 1933, Paul Landowski was his successor.