Dmitriy Chiparus The largest sculptor of the Art Deco era. Country: Romania

Biography of Dmitry Chiparus

Dmitry Chiparus, the greatest sculptor of the Art Deco era, was born in Romania in 1909. He later moved to Italy, where he studied under the renowned sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. In 1912, Chiparus immigrated to Paris, where he attended classes at the Paris Academy of Fine Arts and took lessons from Antonin Mercié and Jean Boucher.

Initially, Chiparus focused on creating small, realistic sculptures, and his first exhibition took place in 1914 at the Paris Salon. His early series of sculptures, which depicted children, were successfully produced and sold. However, it was in the 1920s that Chiparus developed his mature style, characterized by high decorative and visual impact. From then on, the artist's work primarily revolved around depicting dancers and the beautiful women of his time.

Most of the rights to produce Chiparus' sculptures were acquired by the bronze foundry Edmond Etling et Cie, whose director was Julien Dreyfus. Les Neveux de J. Lehmann, another bronze foundry, also frequently collaborated with Chiparus. Despite his success, Chiparus rarely exhibited his works at the annual Paris Salons. In 1928, he showcased his sculpture "The Javelin Thrower," and in the same year, he presented the dancer "Ta-Keo."

During the period of Nazi persecution and World War II, Chiparus' work was almost entirely neglected by the art market. The economic situation was unfavorable for the development of decorative art, leading to financial difficulties for many sculptors. However, Chiparus continued to work independently, creating animalistic sculptures in the Art Deco style. In 1942, his sculptures "Polar Bear" and "American Bison" made of plaster were exhibited at the Paris Salon, and in 1943, he displayed a marble polar bear and a plaster pelican.

Chiparus passed away in 1947. His sculptures are considered to be a classic representation of Art Deco style in bronze and ivory decorative sculpture. Three main influences can be identified in his work: the Russian Ballet of Diaghilev, Egyptian art, and to a lesser extent, avant-garde art. Some of Chiparus' sculptures were directly inspired by the dancers of the Russian troupe. For example, the figures in his sculpture group "Persian Dance" bear the portrait features of Vaslav Nijinsky and Ida Rubinstein. The costume in his sculpture "Sea Star" accurately reproduces Léon Bakst's design for the Golden Fish in Léonid Anisimov's ballet "The Underwater Kingdom" set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov.

The art of Ancient Egypt and the East became popular in Paris after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, and this influence is also reflected in Chiparus' work. He created a series of sculptures depicting the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, as well as "Egyptian Dancers" alongside Claire Colinet. Chiparus' works are a true reflection of their time, embodying the spirit of the 1920s and 1930s. Combining elegance and luxury, they epitomize the essence of the era.

Interest in Chiparus' works began to grow in the 1970s and has continued to increase since the 1990s. The largest collection of Chiparus' works is owned by the Russian House Art Deco, which houses over 100 pieces by the Romanian master.