René LETOURNEUR (1898-1990) - Lot 88

René LETOURNEUR (1898-1990) The Seine, study for the Le Pecq bridge Circa 1962 Studio plaster 41 x 75 x 30 cm In 1962, René Letourneur was commissioned to create two monumental statues to adorn the Pont du Pecq (Yvelines) - now the Pont Georges Pompidou. He worked on the creation of La Seine and its counterpart L'Oise for two years in a workshop at the Tivoli Roman travertine quarry. In his studies, the sculptor remained faithful to the proportions of the model, then moved away from them to adapt to the constraints of the monumental format: each block of travertine weighed 40 tons when extracted and was 5 meters long. Large stones are always present at the end of the bridge, on the Saint-Germain-en-Laye side. Bibliography : 2009 EXHIBITION, p. 84-85, no. 69, repr. (bronze), p. 200-201, repr. (stone), p. 221.