Gaston Lachaise

Sea Gull, 1927

brass

h. 6 in.

Gift of William George Sullivan

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Gaston Lachaise was born in Paris to a father who made fine furniture.  Lachaise’s talent was recognized at an early age, and he was sent to the École Bernard Palissy and École des Beaux-Arts to study.  He earned his money by working for the famous Art Nouveau glass designer, René Lalique.  Lachaise began to sculpt works that reflected his interest in Auguste Rodin. He moved to Boston and then to New York where he spent seven years as an assistant to Paul Manship.  His full figured nudes with their small heads and tiny waists become his signature pieces.  In the 1920s Lachaise produced a number of garden sculptures that included dolphins, sea gull and fauns.

The human body was Lachaise’s most inspiring subject, but he often supplemented his income by designing animal figures for garden and architectural decoration.  He created Seal Gull for the U. S. Coast Guard Memorial at Arlington, Cemetery, Virginia, and later adapted it for use over a fireplace.  This smaller version was a hood ornament for the Marmon automobile.  With its rhythmic flow of simplified forms, the Sea Gull parallels the majesty and grace of Lachaise’s female nudes.

Reference

Louise Bourgeois.  Gaston Lachiase 1882-1935, The Lachaise Foundation/Gallimard, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-1588211576