Ary Bitter(1883 Marseille - 1973 Paris), Girl with Kid
, around 1930. Green patinated bronze with cast plinth loosely mounted on a white-veined dark green marble base. Dimensions of the plinth: 5 cm (height) x 80 cm (length) x 24 cm (width), dimensions of the bronze 28 cm (height) x 72 cm (length) x 18 cm (width). Weight of the bronze 18.2 kg, total weight 39.2 kg. Signed “Ary Bitter.” on the plinth and stamped “L N Paris J L” by the foundry Les Neveux de Jacques Lehmann and numbered “102” on the reverse.
- Slightly rubbed in places and minimally stained, one corner of the base with a small loss, overall still in very good condition for its age.
The reclining girl is absorbed in caressing the tenderly embraced kid. Full of intimacy, she has almost closed her eyes while the young animal also enjoys the caresses. It has leaned down slightly on its clumsy little legs to touch the girl's lips and cheeks with its head. Like soul mates, they are attracted by an inner affection. The shy little goat illustrates the girl's innocent nature.
Ary Bitter succeeds masterfully in making the moving animal's body appear to be alive. Anatomically, it looks as if it has been rendered in the flesh. He has created the girl's body with equal mastery. The idea of the reclining figure allows the kid and the girl to meet at eye level. By turning towards the lovely animal, the girl's nude is placed in an exciting torsion, which also makes the delicate body appear alive and presents it from different angles. The size of the bronze turns the nude into a veritable landscape of bodies.
The liveliness of the kid and the girl is fulfilled in the merging caress, making the depiction at the same time an allegory of tenderness.
About the artist
Ary Bitter began his studies at the Art Academy in his hometown of Marseille in 1895. The talented young artist won first prize for a sculpture in 1900 and 1901, and first prize for the best drawing in 1901. Thanks to a patron, he was able to move to the art capital of Paris in 1902. He worked in the studio of Louis-Ernest Barrias and was admitted to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 1906. In 1910, he won first prize at the Concours Chenavard, the Lemaire Prize in 1911, and the Fondation Stillmann Prize in 1912, which brought Bitter recognition and made him a sought-after artist. From 1910 to 1939, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des artistes français. In 1924, he was awarded the gold medal of the Paris Salon. In 1932, his fame culminated in his appointment as a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and in 1937, he received a gold medal at the Paris World's Fair.
Ary Bitter was particularly appreciated for his bronze sculptures, which often combine the grace of the animal world with female beauty. His works were so popular that they were reproduced in biscuit china by the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Sèvre.
