Louis Dejean

The family of Louis Dejean;
thence by descent

Overall the condition of the plaster is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The sculpture is a studio plaster. As such, there are metal struts and pins. Some sections appear to be cast and attached, such as the proper right arm, where there is a slightly open joint. The proper right arm is slightly loose. There are a few small chips around the base. There are various small lacunae. There are various minor fissures, in particular at the legs, where there are also some pencil marks. There is minor oxidation to the metal, consistent with the material, and this has stained the plaster in areas. There are various original joints and original plaster joints in these areas.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dejean was  a member of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and the Salon d'Automne. After a year of study at l’École des Arts Décoratifs, he began work under Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) and became a prominent member of the Bande a Schnegg, a group of disciples of the great master led by Lucien Schegg and including François Pompon, Léon Drivier, Charles Despiau and Alfred Jean Halou. Following the First World War, Dejean became known for his stylish nudes with rounded forms, a style which is exemplified by the present model. 

This ‘studio plaster’ provides an unparalleled insight into the working methods of Dejean. Such plaster casts formed the basis for both bronze cast and carved sculpture, and were highly valued by Rodin, who was preoccupied by the process of form and modelling; Rodin had multiple casts of his clay models made (some of which are now in the Musée Rodin Meudon), and was known to give them as presents to his close friends and favoured assistants.

We may assume then, that his disciple Dejean similarly prised the working model. Indeed, both the plaster cast and the marble sculpture of Femme au Bain have been retained and admired within the artist’s family since their creation.

A direct comparison of this cast with lot 100, which comprises the finished marble, exposes several of Dejean’s conscious modifications; the tree trunk becomes cloth, the subject’s face is tilted upward, and the contrapposto of the plaster model is fractionally adjusted to raise the right side of the subject’s body.

 

RELATED LITERATURE
E. Bénézit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Gründ, 1999, vol. p. 361; A. E. Elsen et. al., Rodin's Art: The Rodin Collection of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, 2003, pp. 21-29; P. Elliott, After Rodin: French Figurative Sculpture 1900-1940 from the Marjon Collection, Perth, 2013, p. 72, no. 31