MAX LE VERRIER

Max le Verrier was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in 1891. From an early age, he showed great promise as an artist and sculptor; and after serving in the French army during World War I, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Geneva. During his studies in Switzerland, he met the sculptors Pierre le Faguays and Marcel Bouraine, who became close friends and with whom he collaborated for a large part of his life.

After completing his studies, the Verrier returned to France in 1919 and founded his own workshop in Paris. It was during this time that he created his first popular sculpture - the famous "Pelican" - which was the first in a long line of animal figures that bore his name. Le Verrier received a gold medal for his sculptures at the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels in Paris in 1925 (the famous exhibition from which the term "Art Deco" was derived). In 1926, Le Verrier opened his own foundry, casting pieces for a wide range of French sculptors of the time, including Pierre Le Faguays, Marcel Bouraine, Janle, Denis and Charles. From the beginning, he established a reputation for the very high quality work, exceptional details and precision of the items produced by his company. Interestingly, the foundry did not cast in bronze as is commonly assumed, because the Glassmaker felt he could achieve better detail using his own mix of metals. Alongside running his foundry, Le Verrier continued to sculpt his own designs, and in the 1920s he became famous for his studies of women, part of the Art Deco era's fascination with the ideal female form. . His female figures are characterized by supple athleticism and perfect symmetry; and are highly appreciated and highly sought after. Le Verrier continued to work throughout the 1930s – receiving a medal of honor at the Paris International Exhibition in 1937 – before being arrested in 1944 for his resistance activities against the Nazi-backed regime.

He reopened his workshop after the Second World War and continued to sculpt until his death in 1973.