Germaine Richier
(French, 1904–1959)
Biography
Germaine Richier was a French sculptor best known for her large bronze sculptures inspired by themes in classical mythology. Her statues of animals and hybrid-creatures are thin and misshapen, looking as though these are on the brink of decay. The artist is often associated with her controversial statue of Christ, displayed in the Church of Notre Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau d’Assy, which was removed by the clergy for its untraditional depiction of Jesus. Born on September 16, 1902 in Grans, France, Richier attended the École des Beaux Arts in Montpellier for six years, taking apprenticeship from Émile Antoine Bourdelle in Paris. In 1937, she took part in an exhibition focusing on the work of European women at the Musée du Jeu and later showed in an exhibition at the World’s Fair alongside prominent Modern artists, including Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, and André Derain. After several years of success in Europe, the artist was awarded the sculpture prize at the São Paulo Bienial in 1956. Richier died on July 31, 1959 in Montpellier, France. She was relatively unknown for the majority of her career, only coming to public attention after her work was shown in a retrospective at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Her work is found in the collections of the Musée Fabre, and the Tate Gallery in London, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.
Germaine Richier Artworks
Germaine Richier
(578 results)
Germaine Richier
Le cheval à six têtes, grand, 1954–1956
Sale Date: February 11, 2016
Auction Closed
English (US)
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