This sculpture is an intermediary model for a six-metre-tall stone carving, which stands on a hill near Niederbruck in Alsace, France. The style of the work reflects Bourdelle's love of French Gothic sculpture. The figure of the Virgin is based on the artist's wife Cléopatre, and the child Jesus is modelled on his daughter Rhodia. Cléopatre was also a sculptor and the head-scarf worn by the Virgin was inspired by one she used when carving, to keep the dust out of her hair.
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (French, 1861 - 1929)
French sculptor Bourdelle worked as an assistant to Rodin from 1893 to 1908. He was often overshadowed by his master, but was an accomplished sculptor in his own right and developed an independent style. After Rodin's death in 1917, Bourdelle was, with Aristide Maillol, considered to be France's greatest living sculptor. The rough surfaces of Bourdelle's sculptures are influenced by Rodin, however, his use of flat, simplified forms is indebted to Romanesque art. Bourdelle was particularly interested in the relationship of sculpture to architecture and made a series of reliefs for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, based on the dancing of Isadora Duncan.