catalog text
ARY JEAN LÉON BITTER
French, 1883-1973
The Greyhound and The Cat
Lost-wax cast and patinated bronze | signed in base "ary Bitter" and sealed with Susse cachet, signed in cast "cire purdue", signed "Susse Frs. Ets. Paris"
Item # 304LJP22P
A very scarce example of Bitter's work, this fluid and beautifully captured model depicts of a showdown between a greyhound and a household cat. The freshness of the mold it was captured from is self-evident with a nearly total absence of any notable cold-tooling throughout the surfaces. The signature is sharp to the touch, raised as if Bitter's stylus has only just shaped the wax of the model it was cast from. The untouched original surface patina is brilliant with a chaotic interplay of colors from vivid verdigris to autumnal browns and oranges. Edited by the house of Susse and cast with the lost-wax method.
Ary Jean Léon Bitter
Born in Marseilles, France on May 29th of 1883, Ary Jean Léon Bitter began his studies under the guidance of Emile Aldebert at the Marseille Beaux Arts in 1895 and later under Jules Coutant. He left Marseilles for Paris where he joined the studio of sculptor Louis-Ernest Barrias and in 1906 was admitted into École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. There he received honourable mention for his exhibit of l'Enfant au chevreau in 1910. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français between 1912 and 1939, receiving a bronze medal in 1913, a silver medal in 1921 and a gold medal in 1924. He was distinguished with the classification of "hors-concours", allowing him to enter exhibition without jury approval and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1932. He also achieved a final gold medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1937. Many of his smaller works were cast by Susse Freres, the renowned Parisian foundry with whom he collaborated to produce several limited editions. Bitter specialized in the sculpture of animals, but he had great breadth to his work and produced a varied body of sculpture in the Art Nouveau taste with groups of figures combined with animals.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. II, Gründ, 2006, p. 543-544
- Art Deco and other Figures, Bryan Catley, 1978, featuring a series of his works on pages 45 through 47
- Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 2002, two of his sculptures depicted p. 194-195, short biography p. 396
Measurements: 1 7/8" H x 2 1/2" D x 12 7/8" W
Condition Report:
Exquisite original condition, a very fine presentation.