Victor SEGOFFIN (1867-1925)
Impressive art deco bronze sculpture of a winged victory with helmet.
Signed (monogram) to the bronze base. Dedication of Marshal Foch in honor of the polytechnicians during the First World War.
Alexis Rudier foundry mark.
(The Rudier foundry is a foundry created and run by Alexis Rudier (died in 1897) and his son Eugène Rudier (1879-1952) between 1874 and 1952.
We owe some of the most beautiful bronzes of the 19th and 20th centuries to the Rudier foundry. The foundry worked for the great sculptors of its time such as Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle, Gustave Miklos Aristide Maillol or Daumier for the 19th century, the fonts being signed “Alexis RUDIER Fondeur PARIS”.)
Excellent condition and patina.
80cm width 60cm high.
Victor Ségoffin (1867-192)
Victor Joseph Jean Ambroise Ségoffin was a French sculptor and medallist born in Toulouse in 1867 and who died in Paris in 1925. Educated at the École des beaux-arts in both Toulouse and Paris, where he studied under prominent figures like Louis-Ernest Barrias, Ségoffin’s style was firmly rooted in the Academic tradition, blending classical influences with a refined, realistic modelling technique.
Ségoffin achieved significant recognition early in his career: he won the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome in 1897 for his bas-relief Orpheus Losing Eurydice for the Second Time, granting him a residency at the Villa Medici until 1901. He was later appointed a professor and studio head at the École des beaux-arts de Paris and was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Presence in National Collections and the Musée d'Orsay
Ségoffin was a prominent artist of his time, securing numerous State commissions for public monuments and official decorations, ensuring a strong presence in France's national collections.
Major Public Commissions: His works adorned key Parisian sites, including the Palais de l'Élysée (with sculptures like La Danse sacrée and La Danse Profane), the Louvre (where his bronze group Time and Genius was placed, though later melted down during WWII), and the Luxembourg Garden (Monument to José Maria de Heredia). His portrait busts of artists and intellectuals, such as Félix Ziem and Léon Bonnat, were also acquired by national museums.
At the Musée d'Orsay: The Musée d'Orsay in Paris holds several significant pieces that exemplify his talent for allegorical figures and portraiture:
- LaDansesacree (1905, marble).
- Homme criant (or La Danse guerrière), a monumental marble work from 1905, which originally decorated the Palais de l'Élysée.
- A compelling bronze bust of the painter Félix Ziem (1905).
These works confirm Ségoffin’s role as a respected representative of official French sculpture during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century.
REFERENCE: fo0310
