List of works by Antoine Bourdelle


The following is an incomplete list of artworks by the French artist Antoine Bourdelle.
Antoine Bourdelle, born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor, painter, and teacher. His studio became the Musée Bourdelle, an art museum dedicated to his work, located at 18, rue Antoine Bourdelle, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France.
In 1905, he mounted an exhibition of his work at the Galerie Hébrard in Paris, showing 38 sculptures, 18 paintings and 21 drawings. The sculptures included La Nonne from 1888 as well as the Head of Apollo and his Great Tragic Mask of Beethoven. Bourdelle's father died in 1906 and in 1909 he left Rodin's studio. The year 1910, saw his Héraklès tue les oiseaux du lac Stymphale of 1909 shown at the Salon and this was a huge success! A version of this work is held in the Musée d'Orsay. Whilst working as a sculptor he also taught at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse, his pupils including Alberto Giacometti, Aristide Maillol, René Iché and Germaine Richier. 1910 also saw his divorce from Stéphanie Van Parys and in 1911 Rhodia Bourdelle was born to him and Cléopâtre Sévastos. In 1913 an exhibition of modern art in New York included his Héraklès and Tête d’Apollon, the commission for the monument to Genéral Alvéar in Argentina was formalized and he carried out the sculptures for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. He founded and was vice president of the Salon des Tuileries.
Many works by Bourdelle can be seen in the Musée Bourdelle- Buste de Beethoven, Adam, Le bélier rétif, Centaure mourant, La Liberté and Vierge à l'enfant. From 1922 to 1923 he worked on La Vierge à l’offrande and completed the maquette for La France. He also completed La Naissance d’Aphrodite for the Marseille Opera House. In 1925 he exhibited at the Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs showing Sappho, Le Livre and Masque de Bourdelle in the Pavillon du livre. 1926 finally saw his Alvéar monument inaugurated after 10 years of work and a version of La France was exhibited at the Salon des Tuileries. 1928 saw a retrospective exhibition to celebrate the inauguration of the Brussels Palais des Beaux-Arts and 1929, the year of his death, saw the Monument to Adam Mickiewicz inaugurated. Bourdelle died on the 1 October 1929 at Vésinet whilst a guest of the founder Rudier. In 1931 there was a great retrospective of Bourdelle's work at the Paris Orangerie. He is buried in Montparnasse cemetery. In 1924 he had been made Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Légion d'honneur.

War memorials

Apart from the war memorials mentioned above Bourdelle also worked on a "Monument aux Députés morts pour La France", a memorial honouring the Deputies who had died in the 1914–18 war. He was keen on placing the memorial in the central niche of the Salle du Roi in the Palais Bourbon, a room dominated by Delacroix' paintings and designed the memorial so as not to clash with these works. The female figure in the statue, said to be based on Isadora Duncan, held a huge short sword and held aloft a round shell of the type carried by Greek hoplites. The piece was called "La Victoir du Droit". Bourdelle completed the maquette, the intention being that the final marble statue would be 3.25m high. Sadly the project was not pursued by the French State.
Bourdelle's 1922/23 La Vierge à l'Offrande or Vierge à l'Enfant in grey chauvigny limestone at Niederbruck, although not an actual war memorial, was directly linked to the 1914–18 war. Léon Vogt, a pupil of Bourdelle, owned potash mines in Alsace and in 1914 his mother vowed that if the family property was kept from destruction during the war she would commission a statue to celebrate this. She died during the war but after the war, Léon commissioned Bourdelle to execute a suitable statue. Bourdelle completed various studies and the second study, enlarged to 2.5m, was placed in the crypt at Hartmannswillerkopf. The same study but now 6m high was placed on the slope of the wooded hill above Niederbruck in the Manavaux valley to fulfil Mme Voigt's vow. The work was exhibited in the "Section d'Art Religieux" at the Salon d'Automne" of 1921–22. In Bourdelle's work the baby Jesus is held above her shoulder by the Virgin Mary, His arms are outstretched so his body takes on the form of a Cross. The inscription on the statue also gives thanks for Alsace-Lorraine's return to France after the war.

Images of Bourdelle's war memorials

Busts by Bourdelle

Louis Gillet wrote Here are details of some of these busts, including the acclaimed studies of Beethoven which occupied Bourdelle over a long period of time. Bourdelle often submitted portrait busts to the Salons in the hope of attracting commissions. The bust "Adam" was submitted to the Salon des Artists Français in 1888 and he had submitted his bust of Armand Saintis in 1884, Delard in 1885, the actor "Marais" in 1886 and "La Marquise Silvia de Mari" and "St Merlatti" in 1887.
NameLocationDateNotes
Bust of Emile GarrissonMontauban. Musée Ingres-Bourdelle1885A Bronze bust of this Montauban personality.
Coquelin Ainé Musée Bourdelle, ParisA bronze bust of the elder Coquelin brother.
Bust of Coquelin Cadet Musée Ingre-Bourdelle, Montauban1891A bust in Terra cotta of the younger Coquelin entitled "Coquelin Cadet en Mascarille". Mascarille was one of Moliére's great characters.
Bust of Achille BouïsMontauban. Musée Ingres1882A bust in terracotta of the Montauban photographer.
Bust of Célestin ArgaudToulouse. Musée des Augustins1885A work in terracotta.
Busts of Félicien Champsaur and his wife Madame ChampsaurWhereabouts not known.1891Champsaur was an influential art critic who became a close friend. He wrote a highly complimentary article on Bourdelle for the " Courier de Montauban". These two busts were shown at the Société National des Beaux-Arts Salon of 1891.
Bust of François MoulenqMontauban ; Musée Ingres1894A work commissioned by the Société Archéologique de Tarn-et-Garonne. Bourdelle executed two versions. One is held by the Montauban Musée Ingres and a smaller version with a terracotta coloured patina is held in Valence d'Agen's mairie.
"Beethoven aux grands cheveux"Montauban ; Musée Ingres1891When a young man Bourdelle was said to have looked very much like Beethoven which might explain his obsession with creating portraits of him."Beethoven with long hair", is one of Bourdelle's best known depictions of Beethoven. A work in plaster depicting a windswept Beethoven which is inscribed
In 1888 Bourdelle had produced his "Beethoven, la joue appuyée sur une main"- Beethoven with cheek resting on one hand".
Bronze bust of Léon CladelMontauban. Musée Ingres1894Cladel the French writer was a good friend of Bourdelle and after his death in 1892 a committee was formed to organize a sculpture, Bourdelle received the commission, and the resultant bust was erected in one of Montauban's public squares in 1894. In 1937 it was transferred to the Ingres museum who also hold the plaster version.
Bust of Dr. FegeMont-de-Marsan. Musée de la ville1900The original plaster version is held by the Musée Bourdelle.
Beethoven Montauban. Musée Ingres1902The years 1901 to 1910 were to see further studies of Beethoven. Apart from "à la colonne", 1901 saw him execute "Beethoven, Grand Masque Tragique", 1902 "Beethoven, dit Metropolitan", 1903 the "Large Beethoven, resting on his Arm" and "Beethoven assis au rocher", 1904 to 1908 saw "Beethoven dans le vent" and 1908 saw the bronze "Beethoven with Two Hands", and 1910 "Beethoven drapé". The composition "à la colonne" was a variation on the small depiction of Beethoven known as the "dit Metropolitan" a plaster work presented to the Paris salon in 1902 and inscribed with Beethoven's words
Jean-Auguste-Dominique IngresMusée Ingres-Bourdelle1907Bust of the great French painter.
Bust of RodinMontauban ; Musée Ingres-Bourdelle1909A work in terracotta. Shown at the Paris salon of 1910.
Auguste QuercyMontauban. Musée Ingres-Bourdelle1911The Bourdelle bust of the poet is positioned on a pedestal. Quercy was a good friend of Bourdelle and played an active role in promoting Bourdelle's work in Montauban. He chaired the committee which organised the award to Bourdelle for Léon Cladel's bust and was a force behind securing Bourdelle the commission for the Montauban 1870 War Memorial.
Bust of Tristan CorbièreMusée Bourdelle1912A bronze of the French poet.
Eugène KoeberléMusée d'Orsay1914A bronze bust of Dr. Koeberlé, an Alsatian surgeon who is credited for developing a precursor of present-day surgical hemostats
Onésime ReclusMusée Despiau-Wlérick. Mont-de-Marsan1915A plaster bust.
Anatole FranceMusée d'Orsay1919A bronze bust cast by Alexis and Eugène Rudier.
Sir James FrazerMusée Ingres, Montauban1922There are many copies of this work around. Sir James George Frazer was an eminent anthropologist, whose widely-read 1890 book "The Golden Bough" traced recurrent patterns in the myths and religious practices of early cultures around the world. Of this bust Frazer wrote
Auguste PerretMusée d'Orsay1922A bronze bust of the French architect who was a pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete. The bust was first shown at the Salon des Tuileries in 1923. Cast by Alexis Rudier.

Cathedrals and churches

In 1916 Bourdelle also created a small votive depicting St Barbe which is held by the Lyon Musée des Beaux-Arts. Bourdelle was asked to create the votive by the family of his brother-in-law, Dr Couchoud, as protection for their son who was away fighting in the artillery. Originally it was placed in the church of St Julien de l'Herm near Lyon before being transferred to the museum. The piece is in polychromed cement. There are copies of the work located in Stockholm, Rome, Bruxelles and Luxembourg.

Works in Musée d'Orsay

Main works

Images of Mickievicz monument, including bas-reliefs

Main works (continued)

NameLocationDateNotes
"Tête d'Apollon"Musée d'Orsay1900–09This work is thought by many to be a watershed marking a fundamental change in Bourdelle's work. Cannon-Brookes wrote
and when Rodin saw the work he said
The museum hold a bronze version cast by Alexis and Eugène Rudier with a gold leaf patina. Various editions of the work were cast and it can also be seen in the Musée Bourdelle and the museums of Lausanne, Montpellier and Stockholm. Interesting to note that Bourdelle started studies of the head of Apollo when still employed as an assistant to Rodin.
Musée GrévinParis1900The year 1900 saw Gabriel Thomas commission Bourdelle to execute large bas-reliefs "Les Nuages" above the proscenium arch and "Les nuées" for the museum's entrance.
"Le Jour et la Nuit"Musée Bourdelle1903In Bourdelle's composition a man represents "Day" his eyes turned skywards. A hand is on his shoulder, the hand of an indistinct "Night".
Monument to Antoine Bourdelle with Self PortraitPlace Bourdelle, Montauban1925This bronze is located in Montauban's square du Général Picard.
Self Portrait with a HatMusée Bourdelle1929A bronze self-portrait.
"La mort du dernier centaure"Montauban1914A bronze version of this work stands in Montauban's Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville / Rue Marie Lafon. The work dates back to 1911 and was ordered for Buenos Aires by its mayor Jorge Lavalle Cobo. Cobo had seen and liked a small sculpture of a centaur which he had seen at the sculptor's Paris studio in 1911 and had commissioned the larger version. Although ordered in 1912, the 1914–18 war delayed its casting in bronze, and it only reached Argentina in 1916. It can be seen near to the Place de la Recoleta.
In 1925 another bronze casting was placed in Paris' Salon des Tuileries.
Opéra de MarseilleMarseilleInaugurated in 1787 the Marseille Opera House was destroyed by a fire in November 1919. It was rebuilt between 1921 and 1924, various artists being involved, and the plans being designed by the architects Gaston Castel, Henri Ebrard and George Raymond. Bourdelle completed a pigmented stucco relief over the proscenium arch of the Opéra de Marseille. The figures are painted in brick red and evoke the birth of beauty-"La Naissance de la Beauté". Aphrodite is received by Eros and on either side are the Muses of Art. On the left of Aphrodite, Bourdelle depicts "La Comédie musicale", "La Danse", "l’Epopée", "Le Chant" and "La Mémoire Théâtrale" and on her right "La Tragédie","La Poésie lyrique", "La Méditation", and "La Mémoire". Above a young shepherd holds Pan's pipes to represent "Le Chant agreste".
"Virgin Mary"The National Gallery of Scotland.The composition used for Niederbruck had been used earlier for this sculpture. The figure of the Virgin Mary was said to have been based on Bourdelle's wife Cléopatre, and the child Jesus on his daughter Rhodia. His wife was also a sculptor and the head-scarf worn by the Virgin was inspired by one she used when carving, to keep the dust out of her hair.
Théâtre des Champs-ÉlyséesParis1910 to 1913Gabriel Thomas was a financier and Chairman of the Societe de la Tour Eiffel and the Musée Grevin for which Bourdelle had produced reliefs in 1909. He had also been the first purchaser of "Heracles the Archer". He conceived the idea of building a large modern theatre and purchased land on the Avenue Montaigne in 1910. Auguste Perret was appointed the designing architect and Bourdelle was commissioned to execute a series of marble friezes for the theatre's façade, as well as for the atrium, one of many occasions when he was to work with Perret who pioneered the use of re-inforced concrete. In a "tour de force" Bourdelle created over 70 individual compositions, many inspired by the dancing of Isadora Duncan. One of the bas-reliefs was entitled "La Tragédie" and the plaster mould for this can be seen in Montauban's Musée Ingres. It dates to 1912. The museum also have the plaster moulds for the reliefs "Musique", "La Danse", "La Comédie", "Apollon et sa méditation", "La Sculpture et l'Architecture" and "Une muse, dite Muse échevelée". Within the theatre itself the sculptural decoration is limited to the pair of narrow low-reliefs in marble at the feet of the stairs-"L'Ame passionée" and "l'Ame Heroique" but Bourdelle executed several paintings for the theatre ceiling. One of the reliefs on the building's façade "La Sculpture et l’Architecture" celebrates the interrelationship of the two art forms of architecture and sculpture, something that concerned Bourdelle deeply who saw sculpture as architectural.
"Sappho"Montauban1925This work in bronze stands in front of Montauban's Théâtre Olympe-de-Gouges in the Place de la Comédie. The plaster version can be seen in the Musée Bourdelle. Bourdelle first worked on this composition in 1887 and reworked it in 1924 but on a larger scale. Two versions were exhibited in the Pavillon du Livre at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1925, including the 1925 bronze version in Montauban cast by the Fonderie de Coubertin based in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and being 2.08m high. When adding his monogram to the work, Bourdelle added the dates "1887–1925".
"Beethoven:Tete chapitaux aux raisins"Musee Ingres-Bourdelle1924Towards the end of his life, Bourdelle returned to studies of Beethoven with this study with the composer framed by grapes and vines. At this time he also executed his "Beethoven, a l'Architecture" the composer's head emerging from a block of stone. "Beethoven La Pathétique" dates to the same period
Monument to Honoré DaumierMarseille1949Bourdelle executed preliminary sketches for a monument to Honoré Daumier from 1925 to 1927 and in 1927 created a 1.13m high composition which depicted the artist clutching his lithographic stone. He did not in fact receive the commission but the head was subsequently scaled up further, well after Bourdelle's death, and this now sits on a high pedestal in Marseille's Place Daviel.