Gaston D'Illiers on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Gaston d'Illiers (1876–1932), born at
His statues were very appreciated from the start. He showed his productions in specialised exhibitions like "salon des artistes français" from 1899 to his death. He gained quite a reputation among horse experts and art connoisseurs. For example, during his life the statue ''avant la course'' (before the race) was often given as a prize to the winner of a
Gaston d'Illiers (1876–1932), born at Boulogne-sur-Seine
Boulogne-Billancourt (; often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine, ) is a wealthy and prestigious commune in the Parisian area, located from its centre. It is a subprefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and th ...
, France, was a French animalier
An animalier (, ) is an artist, mainly from the 19th century, who specializes in, or is known for, skill in the realistic portrayal of animals. "Animal painter" is the more general term for earlier artists. Although the work may be in any genre ...
sculptor who specialised in horses. His bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
statuettes are very realistic.
Biography
Gaston d'Illiers devoted all his life to his two passions: horses and sculpture. He was a very fine rider and showed a deep knowledge of horses. He decided to become a sculptor and took to modelling horses.
His statues were very appreciated from the start. He showed his productions in specialised exhibitions like "salon des artistes français" from 1899 to his death. He gained quite a reputation among horse experts and art connoisseurs. For example, during his life the statue ''avant la course'' (before the race) was often given as a prize to the winner of a horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
or jumping
Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and o ...
.
His private life was quiet. He was a student of the Count de Ruille and was himself a count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
and thus enjoyed a life of privilege and nobility, spending all his life in the centre of France, in Orléans
Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Olivet. He often went hunting on horseback with friends in the woods nearby (Orleans forest,
The works of Gaston d'Illiers, small bronze horses, are fine and elegant works of art. They are particularly appreciated by horse lovers because of their precision and fidelity to nature. Although primarily a sculptor of equine subjects, he did produce at least one model of an Alsatian shepherd dog that appears for sale from time to time. Unlike most of his contemporaries who generally used mid-brown colored patinas, d'Illiers almost exclusively used black patinas. It is rare indeed to find a bronze by d'Illiers in a color other than black.
During his life, d'Illiers created around 200 statues. They are all of small size, less than half a meter in each of the 3 dimensions. He modelled them in wax or plaster. The models were then
(US) and Olivet. He often went hunting on horseback with friends in the woods nearby (Orleans forest,
Sologne
Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the districts ...
), and some of his works are related to hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
, for example ''le piqueux'', ''la curée'', and ''retour de chasse''.
He went twice on trips to Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
in 1899 and 1910, and these trips gave him inspiration for some works which are still very appreciated: ''jument arabe'', ''fauconniers'', and ''fantasia''.
Works
The works of Gaston d'Illiers, small bronze horses, are fine and elegant works of art. They are particularly appreciated by horse lovers because of their precision and fidelity to nature. Although primarily a sculptor of equine subjects, he did produce at least one model of an Alsatian shepherd dog that appears for sale from time to time. Unlike most of his contemporaries who generally used mid-brown colored patinas, d'Illiers almost exclusively used black patinas. It is rare indeed to find a bronze by d'Illiers in a color other than black.
During his life, d'Illiers created around 200 statues. They are all of small size, less than half a meter in each of the 3 dimensions. He modelled them in wax or plaster. The models were then molded
Molding (American English) or moulding (British and Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix. This itself may have ...
to produce a limited number of statues in bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
. Most of the models were damaged during World War II. The manufacturing of the bronze statues is still going on with the remaining models, but on an extremely limited scale. The existing bronze statues are kept by the owners, who seldom sell them. The appearance of a Gaston d'Illiers statue in a sale or a shop is therefore a rare event.
The works of d'Illiers show all types of horses including riding horses, driving horses, military horses, and draft horse
A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less often ...
s. Many breeds are represented: Selle Français
The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. It is renowned primarily for its success in show jumping, but many have also been successful in dressage and eventing. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or ...
, Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred, part-Arabian horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is the result of a Thoroughbred (hence, the prefix "Anglo") being crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made betw ...
, Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
, Cob, Boulonnais, Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and ...
. When persons are present (rider, driver, groom), they are of little importance whereas the horse remains the centre of attention.
Many works are actually portraits of real horses, which accounts for their realism and accuracy. Some are winners of jumping
Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and o ...
: ''Idylle'', ''Bulletin rose'', ''Rosette XIV''... Others are his own horses or horses belonging to acquaintances: ''Violette'', ''Jack'', ''Colibri'', ''Esmeralda'', ''Miss'', ''Prince'', ''Dolly'', ''Sydney'', ''sous-off'', ''Lady Hareford'', ''la ruade or poney Coco ruant'', ''cheval aux champs or Coquet au trot'', ''cheval sans terrasse or Sweetheart''. His work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...
.
Signature
See also
*Animalier
An animalier (, ) is an artist, mainly from the 19th century, who specializes in, or is known for, skill in the realistic portrayal of animals. "Animal painter" is the more general term for earlier artists. Although the work may be in any genre ...
, French artists specialized in realistic portrayal of animals
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Illiers, Gaston D Modern sculptors Horses in art 1876 births 1932 deaths 20th-century French sculptors French male sculptors Olympic competitors in art competitions