Sculpture, Art nouveau in 3D

The collections of the musée de l'École de Nancy bear witness to the friendships between the young artists who invented and created in Nancy at the end of the 19th century. Among them, Mathias Schiff is a classic, notably with his Buste de Camille Martin. Ernest Bussière, known for his portraits of notables and a number of funerary and commemorative monuments, offers a vision tinged with naturalism and symbolism in his Bluette. The museum holds two examples, including the one that once adorned the artist's tomb.

Victor Prouvé is one of the few artists to produce an Art nouveau sculpture.  The La Nuit cup is a good example. Halfway between sculpture and decorative arts, this work is inspired by the work of Auguste Rodin. It is more than just a face. The abundance of figures at the back, under the hair dotted with stars, bats, poppy seeds pods and an owl, awakens all nocturnal fears. The lectern for Les Poèmes barbares, dedicated to the Parnassian poet Leconte de Lisle, is another interesting example of a genuine intimate monument. Lastly, Victor Prouvé also made his markin the field of commemorative monuments, as demonstrated by a model for the war memorial at Bois-le-Prêtre  (First World War), kept by the museum.

Nancy's sculptors also made a name for themselves in the field of art trinkets, contributing to spread the taste for Art nouveau. These small objects can be found everywhere, in the pages of sales catalogues or in photographs of exhibitions, placed here and there on furniture. For Alfred Finot, the representation of women is predominant with his inkwells L'Épave or Nymphese mirant. Ernest Wittmann entrusted the publication of his work to the brothers Joseph and Pierre Mougin. His biscuits depict the world of the street and the countryside.