René LETOURNEUR (1898-1990) - Lot 123

René LETOURNEUR (1898-1990) Maternity ward 1979 Naxos marble (for the mother) and Carrara marble (for the child) Signed (on the edge of the child's terrace, front): LETOURNEUR 58.5 x 22 x 27 cm Black patina bronze base: 4 x 30 x 15 cm For the Naxos marble part: restorations by the artist in progress. In his final years, René Letourneur worked intensely, creating numerous direct-cut marble groups, remarkable for the balance of their composition. His Maternité exudes gentleness and tenderness, as does Femme et enfant (cat. no. 153) executed shortly afterwards. During the execution of Maternité, the large crystals in the Naxos marble of the mother figure made carving the marble very complex. René Letourneur chose Carrara marble to continue his group and create the figure of the child. Bibliography : 2009 EXHIBITION, p. 148, no. 140, repr. (bronze proof); p. 149, no. 141, repr. (marble) and p. 206-207, repr. (marble).