Lot 131: Julien Lorieux , French 1876-1915 Jeux de Mains, jeux de vilains white marble, raised on a rose marble-inlaid tôle pedestal

signed Lorieux . white marble, raised on a rose marble-inlaid tôle pedestal

measurements figure height 4 ft. 2 in.; pedestal height 38 in., width 37 in., depth 37 in. alternate measurements 127 cm; 96.5 cm, 94 cm, 94 cm

Lorieux was a student of Falguière, Jacques Parrin, and Mercié at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He exhibited for the first time at the Salon in 1893, and received great praise throughout his career, including an honorable mention in 1897 and, more important, another at the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle. Although a photograph of the present group is not available, it is believed to be the one that reappeared at the Salon in 1913 under no. 3750, first exhibited in plaster in 1910. This group demonstrates Lorieux's technical ability to render a smooth, almost tender surface, which contracts with the strong impact of the subject.