Émile Guillemin

ÉMILE GUILLEMIN (France, 1841-1907).
Pair of Gallic soldiers, ca. 1875.
Bronze with fine gold and silver patina.
Signed.
Measurements: 25 x 12 x 10 cm.

Couple of flamboyant Gallic soldiers wearing traditional costumes and armed with helmet, shields, sword and axe. Both their serious countenance as well as the clothes of truthful character denote the rigorous study of the natural. Previously, Guillemin had already made other figures of fighters (such as the Roman gladiators acquired by the French State for the Castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye). Guillemin also specialized in figurative works and was greatly inspired by the Middle East and its exoticism (Indian falconers, Turkish maidens and Japanese courtesans were among the most represented).

A French sculptor of the Belle Époque, Émile Guillemin worked mainly in bronze, although he also produced works in other materials. He trained with his father, the painter Auguste Guillemin, and with Jean-Jules Samson. He showed his work at the Paris Salon between 1870 and 1899, being awarded an honorable mention in 1897.