André Tajana (attributed to) Head of a Roman Warrior (1938)

André Tajana (Saint-Chamond 1913 - Vichy 1999) Head of a Roman warrior, probably Saint Alban. 1938. Bronze. H. 48. André Tajana, born in Saint-Chamond, son of a stonemason, first studied at the School of Fine Arts in Saint-Étienne from 1927 to 1930, then at the School of Fine Arts in Lyon from 1931 to 1935. A sculptor of great talent, he left his mark on Lyon and the Loire region with his monumental works. He is also sought after as a portraitist, notably creating portraits of political figures such as Édouard Herriot, Louis Pradel, and François Mitterrand. This head of a Roman warrior is probably the "Alban, " created by Tajana in 1938. That year, Tajana won the Lyon-Paris prize for his work entitled "Alban." Alban, or Saint Alban, was a Roman soldier stationed at Verulamium (now St Albans) in England, before his conversion to Christianity and martyrdom. The soldier's face, of great beauty, expresses a certain fragility. The choice of Alban as a subject allowed Tajana to explore the theme of the head of the ancient warrior, evoking divine and heroic figures such as Ares and Achilles, with a sensitivity that is both spiritual and mysterious. Although this bronze is not signed, the almond-shaped eyes, sculpted in an irregular manner, serve as a sort of characteristic signature of Tajana's works. The identification of the model as Alban leaves little doubt as to the author of this striking piece. The quality of the bronze, heavy and solid, is remarkable, both fine (the ornamentation of the helmet, the bas-relief of the large felines) and also raw; inside, all the nails are still visible and some casting holes have never been filled.