Enrique Molins-Balleste, Art Deco Dancer with Cymbals, 1920s-1940s, Metal

Details

Description

This is a spelter (art metal) sculpture depicting a young dancer performing a dynamic dance move, balanced on the tip … Read more This is a spelter (art metal) sculpture depicting a young dancer performing a dynamic dance move, balanced on the tip of one foot. The artist has captured the movement and grace of the subject, with her body slightly inclined, one leg raised and bent at the knee.

- Subject: A cabaret or music hall style dancer from the 1920s-1930s.

- Props: She holds two cymbals in her outstretched hands, suggesting a rhythmic performance.

- Clothing: The dancer wears a molded headdress over her short hair (characteristic of the period, often a bob or a low bun), an ornate armband, and shorts/culottes with a low waist, richly decorated with stylized floral motifs in relief.

- Material and Finish: The sculpture is made of metal and features a very pale sea-green or blue-green patina, potentially imitating a bronze patina or the color of earthenware.

- Presentation: It rests on a simple, parallelepiped-shaped black/dark marble base, which contrasts with the lightness of the figure and highlights its posture. The work is an excellent example of interwar aesthetics, combining the dynamism of movement with stylized elegance.

2. Artistic Movement:

Art Deco This work is fully in keeping with the Art Deco movement (a contraction of Arts Décoratifs, or Decorative Arts), which dominated the decorative arts, architecture, fashion, and sculpture from 1910 to 1939, and which reached its peak after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925.

- Artistic Justifications for Art Deco:

2.1. Subject and Theme of the New Woman: The work features a "Garçonne" (flapper), an emblematic figure of the freedom and female emancipation of the era. Dancers, athletes, and subjects in motion are central motifs of Art Deco, celebrating speed, dynamism, and the mechanical age.

2.2. Geometric Style and Stylization: Although there is movement, the body is stylized and the forms are simplified. The hairstyle, the balanced posture, and the treatment of the limbs favor a clean, elegant line rather than pure naturalism.

2.3. Stylized Ornamentation: The floral ornamentation on the garment is not naturalistic but geometric and repetitive, a key characteristic of Art Deco, which rejects the complex flourishes of Art Nouveau in favor of clean, angular, or cascading motifs.

2.4. Contrasting and Luxurious Materials: The use of spelter (often to make art accessible) combined with a black marble (or Portoro/Belgian marble) base is typical of Art Deco, playing on the contrast between textures and dark colors with the clarity of the figure.

3. Artist Biography:

Enrique BALLESTE (or Enric)

- Identification Full Name: Enrique Balleste y Buxó Period of Activity: Late 19th - Early 20th century

- Early 20th century (primarily active during the Art Deco period). Nationality: Spanish (Catalan).

- Career and Style: Enrique Balleste was a sculptor of Spanish origin (often associated with Catalonia) who emigrated to France, where he achieved considerable success during the Art Deco period, particularly in Paris, the center of this movement.

- Production and Materials: Balleste is best known for his small bronzes and metal sculptures (like the work shown), often with applications of colored patinas (green, ivory, gold) or carved ivory parts (the chryslephantine technique), which was very fashionable at the time.

- Favorite Themes: His work is emblematic of Art Deco through its themes. He specialized in depicting the modern, athletic woman: exotic dancers, sportswomen, figures from the opera or theater, always capturing dynamism and movement with great linear elegance. Recognition: Although not as universally famous as contemporaries like Demêtre Chiparus or Ferdinand Preiss, his works are highly collectible and sought after on the antiques market for their quality of execution and their perfect adherence to the Art Deco style. His work embodies the spirit of an era that celebrated optimism, modernity, and the aesthetics of the body in motion. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less