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Claude, Michel (Clodion)

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20.12.1738 – 29.03.1814

Claude Michel (Clodion) is one of the most attractive masters among the French sculptors of the XVIII century. Birth name Claude, but he took the name Clodion, as if anticipating their uniqueness in numerous family hereditary of Lorraine sculptors and decorators of Adanov, which was connected on the maternal side. However, about the circumstances of his life very little is known of the biography of the artist still remains largely unclear.

He was born in France in Nancy and was the tenth, last child in the family of a merchant. The first lessons the boy received from his uncle Lambert-Sigisbert Adana, after his death, Clodion he studied briefly in the Studio of J. B. Pigalle, and then entered the Royal school for privileged students. In 1762 he received the first prize in sculpture, and among the best graduates were sent to Rome. At the mention of the name of Clodion there are images of beautiful nymphs, saucy satyrs, bacchantes graceful running, frolicking children, cupids, fiddling with each other or carrying heavy bunches of grapes – the Kingdom of carefree childhood and happy youth, the realm of nature, of joy and love, perceived through ancient myths. The world created by Claude Michel is so compelling and poetic, that there is no doubt in his masterly possession of the plastic form.

Created by Klodiana work for ten years in Italy, went Italian, Russian, German, French collections, as works were highly valued. His first works in Rome were the terracotta – figurines of baked clay, which he did independently and in large quantity. Sensitivity to the needs of its time, coupled with internal freedom of world perception, with a special lightness and performance artistry of his terracotta striking subtlety and detail trim parts, soft sculpture and distinctive musicality.

In the sunset years, in the XIX century, the sculptor was the only student J. Maren, who worked in the manner of his teacher. Customers Klodiana were often his friends and the rich bourgeoisie, as was his glory not amenable to precise calculation of terracottas, bronzes, marbles, biscuits, which exist for more than two centuries and are growing in popularity, which caused a wave of copies and even forgeries in the nineteenth century. Not by chance master, for fourteen years survived his century, remained in the history of French art of the eighteenth century the sculptor has embodied in the field of artistic principles of Rococo, “the Fragonard in the sculpture” as it was called by contemporaries.

Samples of his work can be seen in almost all the museums of Europe, as well as in the Hermitage.

Image: K. Michelle. Satyr and nymph. Bronze (from the collection of WAHM them. I. N. Kramskoy).

K. Michel (Clodion)
Satire and nymph
Bronze
© VOHM im. I.N. Kramsky