AGATHON LÉONARD | DANSEUSE AUX COTHURNES

This finely chased figure in an elaborately draped dress is part of a series of dancers, the Jeu de l'Écharpe, conceived by Agathon Léonard, which was first exhibited at the Société Nationale des Beaux Art in 1897 as a project for a theatre foyer. The dancers in elegant poses are all characterised by their delicate gestures, loose dresses and wide sleeves. They rapidly became Léonard's most popular works, and were produced in gilt bronze by the Susse foundry.

Agathon Léonard, born to Belgian parents as Léonard Agathon van Weydeveldt, studied in his hometown Lille under Delaplanche before settling in Paris, first exhibiting at the Salon there in 1868. He had a successful career, exhibiting regularly in Paris until 1914 and serving as part of the jury for the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He became particularly known for his small subjects representative of the Art Nouveau. His most successful works, the various figures of the Jeu de l'Écharpe, were not only offered to the Empress of Russia as a table centrepiece, but also became bestselling figurines in porcelain, cast by the Sèvres factory.