Georges Van de Voorde

GEORGES VAN DE VOORDE (Cortrique, Belgium, 1878 - Anderlecht, Belgium, 1964).
"Nu assis", ca. 1925.
Bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 104 x 40 x 46 cm.

The work in question, "Nude Woman", is a monumental sculpture in patinated bronze that represents a woman in a recollected attitude, with her knees bent towards her chest and her arms around her head and torso, emphasizing the verticality of the whole. The surface, smooth and polished, contrasts with the roughness of the base. The author has succeeded in transmitting a markedly introspective sensation, as the unusual posture evokes a search for protection or shelter on the part of the sitter.

Georges Vandevoorde was trained at the Van Dale brothers' school of craftsmanship and worked in a furniture workshop. He supplemented his work with classes in modeling and sculpture in wood and stone at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Kortrijk. Later, he settled in Brussels as a sculptor and continued his training by attending the Brussels Academy. During restoration work in Brussels he met Victor Rousseau, with whom he worked for seven years. Together, they produced sixteen sculptures for the Fragnée Bridge in Liège and several sculptural groups for the Arc de Triomphe du Cinquantenaire in Brussels. Rousseau encouraged him to embark on his path as an independent sculptor. Vandevoorde devoted himself to the creation of busts, war monuments, reliefs and statues throughout his career. In addition to monumental works, he also worked on medals and small sculptures in wood and ivory.