A Silvered-Bronze and Onyx Inkwell
Cast after a Model by Maurice Bouval, circa 1900
Cast to depict a reclining female nude at water’s edge looking at her reflection, inscribed M. Bouval
5 ½ in (14 cm) high, 10 ¼ in (26 cm) wide, 7 in (17.8 cm) deep, including the base
cf. Alastair Duncan, The Paris Salons 1895-1914, Volume V: Objets d’Art & Metalware, 1999, pp.126-129
Pierre Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, 1994, pp.139-140
Maurice Bouval, born in Toulouse, was a student of Alexandre Falguière who produced the Triumph of the Republic for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Bouval was a prolific sculptor of functional bronzes, such as candlesticks, lamps, covered boxes and inkwells. From 1880 until the beginning of World War I, Bouval was very successful in his sculpting, often gilding smaller bronze objects and usually incorporating the female form. His bronzes combined sensuous nymphs, water lilies, poppies and lotuses sometimes with a strong suggestion of symbolism and the supernatural. He was a champion of the Art Nouveau style and many of his works express the concept of the woman-flower hybrid.
He participated in the 1890 Universal Exposition in Paris and exhibited at the Société des Artistes Français regularly, first as a sculptor and then in the decorative arts sections. He also exhibited with La Maison Goldscheider and at least three founders cast his bronzes – Colin, Jollet, and Thiebaut Frères.
A bronze inkwell by Bouval is held in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay.
