Georges LACOMBRE (1868-1916) - Lot 189

Georges LACOMBRE (1868-1916) "Existence Bronze bas-relief with brown patina on a green background, decorated with a snake in foliage, emblem of virility and fertility. The mold was created on a wooden panel carved by the artist (see Bibliography). Monogrammed B.B. on the side Located in Paris Height : 48 cm Length: 96 cm - Depth: 6 cm Bibliography: Georges Lacombe (1868 - 1916) Within the group of Nabis painters, Lacombe is the "Nabi sculptor". He was particularly fond of carving directly into wood, and his work was strongly influenced by the art of Gauguin. L'Existence is part of a set of four wooden panels, originally the four sides of a bed. Lacombe had made it around 1894-1896 for his studio in Versailles, which he called the "ergastère des Nabis". The long sides depict two couples, Love and Death, at the beginning and end of their lives together; at the foot of the bed, Birth, and at the head, Existence, which is the most esoteric. A long snake is seen biting its tail: it represents vital energy. The curls of its body form two eyes. With two noses and two mouths, the whole forms both a kissing couple, seen in profile, and a face seen from the front, with negroid features. On the left, we see a female sex, represented as a large striated leaf. Spermatozoa sprout from the corners. Please ask for condition reports before sale: they are not included in the files.