Workshop plaster "1930, Cubist Art Deco sculpture, draped nude woman

Sculpture from the ARTIST'S STUDIO FUND of Jean Canneel, dating from the 1930s. It has come to us via the family, with available documents (another terracotta sculpture is available and visible on ArtaPlaza, of the same provenance). This is a STUDIO PLASTER, a unique piece that was used to produce multiples in terracotta, bronze, etc. A corner of the base is broken and held together with tape (see photos). Power and strength in the technique, reminiscent of other Belgian sculptors such as Willy Anthoons, Jean Purvez, Willy Kreitz, Oscar Jespers, Oscar De Clerck, Auguste Mambour... Jean Canneel was a realistic sculptor evolving towards expressionism. He was the brother of Eugène, Jules, and Marcel Canneel. He initially worked as an ornamentalist at the decoration workshop of G. Houdstont in Brussels. He studied at the Academy of Brussels (Victor Rousseau, P. Du Bois, and Ch. Van der Stappen). He created portraits but primarily practised monumental sculpture. He was a professor and director (1933) of the Academy of Saint-Gilles. He sculpted several monuments for our country as well as for Belgian Congo and decorated several public buildings. He succeeded in conveying his sensitivity, optimism, and enthusiasm in his work. Among his creations are the Monument to the Lancers in Spa and the Memorial to the Doctors at the Saint-Pierre Clinic in Brussels. His works are held in the Museums of Ixelles, Kaunas, Riga, and Tallinn. Biography: "Sculpture in Belgium" from 1830 ENGELEN-MARX pp. 444-445-446.