Born in Lille, France, little is known about the life of Emmanuel Villanis, despite the fact that he has a simply incredible level of output during the years of 1880-1920.  First exhibiting at Salon in 1886, he went on to exhibit nearly five-hundred models, almost exclusively featuring the female form with strong influence of the Art Nouveau movement evident in every aspect of his work. He received honorable mention at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, Paris. 

Literature and Further Reading:

• Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century, Dictionary of Sculptors, Kjellberg, p. 641-644
• Art Bronzes, Forrest, p. 484
• Bronzes: Sculptors and Founders, vol I, vol III, Berman, p. 67, p. 976-77