Alfred Boucher

Alfred Boucher (1850 - 1934) is a French sculptor who carried out many works of traditional invoice of the end of XIXe and beginning of the XXe century.

Biography

Alfred Boucher is born on September 23rd, 1850 with Bouy-on-Orvin close to Nogent-sur-Seine, in the department of the Paddle, with hundred kilometers of Paris, where his/her father is farm laborer. Its family settles in this city in 1859 with the service of the sculptor Marius Ramus (1805-1888). Noticed by the artist of which he becomes the assistant, the teenager is introduced to Paul Dubois (1829-1905), considered sculptor, native of Nogent-sur-Seine, which encourages it in its vocation of artist.

Supported by purses of its city and its department, Alfred Boucher between with the School of the Art schools of Paris in 1869 and the courses of Paul Dubois and Antoine Dumont follow (1801-1884). In spite of a double failure at the Price of Rome - it receives nevertheless 2nd price for the child with the fountain -, it will remain by twice lengthily in Italy in 1877-1878 and 1883-1884.

Its statues of traditional invoice make it little by little recognize and the Living room of 1881 crowns it for the Filial devotion . Consequently its celebrity increases by the diffusion of reductions to bronze of her works and by the very many busts which it carries out: it immortalise as well of the scientists like Laennecc, the men of letters de like Maupassant, as political personalities like the king of Greece Georges 1st or chair it Casimir Périer, and much of others. He becomes an official artist, decorated with the Legion of honor, and tackles various subjects successfully. In a realistic vein, it expresses the taste of its time for Antiquity and the Olympic ideal reappearing with its group of runners to foot entitled With the goal! which is preceded with the Living room of 1886 in Paris. A version of big size will be made out of bronze and will be installed in the Gardens of Luxembourg but will be molten during the German Occupation during the second world war. In the same spirit, it represents the launcher of disc ancient Gustave Huot in discobole on a medal.

It also approaches like its fellow-members of the time of the social subjects and naturalists by representing the men with work like " Terrassier" or " small the moissonneuse".

He however prefers topics more poetic while associating natural, naked female and mythology as in the series of the " Volubilis" and of the " Baigneuses" for example. These decorative subjects are very often diffused by reproductions out of bronze, marble or S2evres china which one always finds with the catalog of the specialized merchants of art.

Appreciated by the fortunate middle-class and the political authorities, it settles with Aix-the-Baths in 1889 by preserving its Parisian workshop, and honors with many orders of memorials. One can quote like example the mausoleum Herriot in 1899 or the burial of the Lyons minister Burdeau to the cemetery of the Père Lachaise. In parallel, it paints some fabrics now forgotten.

At the top of its celebrity, it is crowned by the Grand Prix of sculpture of the World Fair of 1900 and continues to work. After the Great War, using a new material, the reinforced concrete, Alfred Boucher will still realize, at the end of its life, the war memorials of Nogent-sur-Seine (1920), and of Aix-the-Baths (1922).

Faithful to the city which had supported it in its years of training, it founded in 1902 the museum of Nogent-sur-Seine (museum Paul Dubois - Alfred Boucher) which shelters some of its works. Generous and philanthropist, it also created the same year " the Hive " to help the young artists while making arrange for them workshops in the district Montparnasse by recovering a house of the World Fair.

It had also a role of trainer for the following generation by encouraging the talents of Laure Coutan or Camille Claudel which carried out a bust of its first Master, or of Louis Morel (1887 - 1975) which will become the collaborator/expert of Auguste Renoir with Essoyes in the Paddle.

He will die in nearly 84 years with Aix-the-Baths in 1934 and one retrospective of its work will honor it in 1935 in Paris.

Works

The first works

"the child with the fontaine"
" Jason removing the Fleece of Or" second Grand Prix of Rome 1876
" Died of Caton d' Utique" (plaster - contest price of Rome 186/78 (museum of the fine arts of Troyes)
" Eve after the faute" 1878
"Venus Astarté" 1880
"Léda"
" Piety filiale" (1881) (museum of Nogent-sur-Seine)
" With the but" (1886)

Busts and burials

Mr. Bertrand, former prosecutor generated at the court of Paris (original out of marble 1875 - copy plasters in Troyes)
" Camille Claudel lisant" about 1876-1877 (Rodin museum)
the president of the republic Jean-Casimir Périer (marble 1896 - copy with Troyes)
Georges Ier of Greece,
Maria-Pia of Romania
Guy of Maupassant
Laennec discovering the sounding.
Amédée Pichot, publicity agent (plaster - museum of the Troyes fine arts)
Arsene Thévenot (museum of the Troyes fine arts)
Antonin Dubost, bust bronzes of it (Nogent)
Mrs Dupuytren (marble 1882 - Troyes copy)
Sépulture of Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) Group of three bronze statues life size (the Inspiration, Work, " Small Boucher"). cemetery of the Father Lachaise
Portrait of Julien Butcher, father of the artist (Nogent bronzes 1896 - copy plasters museum of the Troyes fine arts)
the duchess of Vicence (marble 1894 - Troyes copy)
monument Flachat (1897)
mausoleum Herriot (1899)
burial of the doctor Theodore Keller (1845-1898) (cemetery of the Lachaise Father)
burial of the minister Burdeau (1901 - cemetery of the Lachaise Father: bronze bust of Burdeau and in front of the pyramid an young girl, symbolizing the posterity).

Auguste Burdeau (1815-1894) (1903 - Botanical garden of Lyon).
monument Ollier (1904 - cemetery of the Lachaise Father)
war memorial of Nogent-sur-Seine (1920)
war memorial of Aix-the-Baths (1922).
lying hones of it Albert Bartholomé (1928 - Lachaise Father)

Realistic statuettes

"the terrassier" (bronzes)
" The forgeron"
" The small reaping-machine " (bronzes)
" With the ground " , marble sculpture (Nogent)
" The logger " (Nogent)

Subject academic

" Volubilis" (marble Orsay/Troyes/Nogent/private collection, London)
" With the fields " (marble - Troyes)
" Swallow blessée" ,
" Diane surprised with the bain" (the bather) (marble - Nogent)
" Souvenir" (bronzes)
" Fauna and fauness " (marble about 1899 - Troyes)
" Tendresse" - " Hiver" (1906 - Bouy-on-Orvin (Paddle)
" The rest " (original marble museum of Pau 1890 - copy plasters Troyes - copy Nogent porcelain)
" Ballerina" (Nogent)

Conclusion

Recognized artist of sound living so much by the institutions than by private customers, Alfred Boucher is often regarded today as a minor artist of the French Sculpture of the XIXe century. Indeed, falling under the traditional tradition, its work corresponds well to certain aspects of the art of the Third Republic which are scorned by the majority of the modern criticism of the 20th century. Nevertheless, in 2000, its east coast with the rise in the United States and Japan. Its birthplace, Nogent-sur-Seine, take part in its rehabilitation.

Prolongation

These works are visible in particular Musée of Beautiful arts of Troyes and with Museum Paul DUBOIS - Alfred BUTCHER of Nogent-sur-Seine but also with the cemetery of the Lachaise Father, Paris

External bonds

http://www.ville-nogent-sur-seine.fr/19museebioaboucher.htm
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/champagne-ardenne/2culture/musee_france/musee_art_archeo.html (museum of Nogent-sur-Seine)
http://www.ville-nogent-sur-seine.fr/17museesculpture.htm
http://lachaise.gargl.net/artgallery/artgallery-artiste-boucher.htm
(museum of Troyes)

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