Emil Jespers

This expertly carved marble is an exceptional and rare work in the oeuvre of the Belgian sculptor, Emil Jespers. Based in Antwerp, Emil Jespers initially worked in the workshop of van De Broeck and De Wind, where he was taught to model sculpture in various media. During this time, he also studied sculpture at the Academy of Antwerp under Josef Geefs. Jespers' success quickly grew, as he became chair of the sculptors union in Antwerp and participated in numerous exhibitions, including in the 1894 Exposition Universelle des Beaux-Arts. While Jespers took inspiration from French artists, like Rodin and Carpeaux, he developed a highly personal style, as demonstrated in the present sensuous marble with soft finish.

Jespers predominantly made small scale sculptures, and only a few of this size or larger. He produced several large sculptures for buildings in collaboration with the neoclassical architect Guillaume Van Oenen, including the bronze titled Electrica which adorns the façade of a private house in the Leysstraat in Antwerp, or a bronze called Lightning which he made for a department store on the main shopping street in Antwerp, the Meir.

RELATED LITERATURE

C. Engelen and M. Marx, Beeldhouwkunst in Belgie, vanaf 1830, Leuven, 2002, pp.956-959