Two men in a Paris cemetery - Auguste Maillard

These two naked men, located in a prominent cemetery in Paris, and sculpted in stone, are a mystery. They were created by Auguste Maillard, famous French sculptor who died in 1944, but we could not find any information about it (except that it was given after his death), unlike others sculptures from him, well documented.

We initially discovered the existence of this sculpture, years ago and not knowing where it was, through the French photographer Paul Marguerite. Then, only knowing the town (which has two cemeteries), looking at the other pictures we determined which of the two it was, and went a few days ago, where we could take the pictures of this post. So it is located in the 'New' cemetery of Neuilly, actually on the areas of Puteaux/Nanterre, built around 1884.

Auguste Maillard was born in 1864, he studied sculpture with Alexandre Falguière, at the Paris Fine Arts school. Numerous busts and monuments from him are disseminated in France. In public places, cemeteries. He died accidentally during the 'Libération' or end of the last war, in August 1944, having received a lost bullet in front of his house, in Neuilly.

During the World Exhibition held in Paris in 1900, he received an award for his 'Icarus fall'
marble sculpture, which unfortunately disappeared mysteriously during a transfer for being 'renovated', in 2005.

Auguste Maillard 'Icarus Fall' postcard - Collection Delcampe

Sources
Paul Marguerite
Wikipedia
Article sur La Chute d'Icare
Delcampe

Your Daily Male 2019 calendar : selection of male sculptures

The Groningen-based Galerie Mooiman, specialized in male art, and already mentioned in this blog (see here), just released his Daily Male 2019 calendar filled with artworks from 52 artists, and this time with 7 sculptors among them. All these artists concentrate their work on the male (nude) beauty and body. I am honored to be part of this group.

This Dutch art gallery is among the very few in Europe specializing in gay artists, editing books about some of these artists, organizing unique exhibitions (like the current one about the Diego Tolomelli stained-glass & playing cards project), and promoting gay male art in general.

Here are some works of 6 of these sculptors : Ivo Blanck, Dennis Coenraad, Antoine Timmermans, OK van Botenburg, Marcel Julius Joosen and Keith King.

Ivo Blanck

Dennis Coenraad

Antoine Timmermans

OK van Batenburg

Marcel Julius Joosen

Keith King

Sources

Galerie Mooi-Man Male art gallery
The Advocate magazine : 54 samples of the calendar
Diego Tolomelli erotic stained glass
Gay-Sculptures by Jean-Christophe 

Petit Sablon in Brussels

The Petit Sablon square in Brussels, charming public park created by the architect Henri Beyaert around 1880, is circled by 48 bronze statues illustrating the various 'corporations' or 'professions' of Brussels at that era. Each has his own distinct piedestal, and a delicate iron gate is joining all of them.

The painter - Photo Alain Michot

Inside the park, in addition to a basin with waterfall, you can admire larger statues of key Dutch Renaissance characters such as Mercator, surrounding the Egmont and Hornes counts. All these were sculpted by the most famous Belgian sculptors of the 19 century, like Jef Lambeaux, and was inaugurated by the same mayor we talked in the last post, Charles Buls.

Mercator, Dutch geograph - Photo Magie des Jardins

The knife maker

The Counts of Egmont and Hornes

Part of the 220 meters intricate grids and iron gates.

The knife maker

The glove maker - Photo Alain Michot

The fat seller - Photo Alain Michot

The watchmaker & jeweller - Photo Alain Michot

Salted fish seller - Photo Alaib Michot

The architect Henri Beyaert - Photo Alain Michot

Sources

More photos of the iron gate and grids
Detailed description of each sculpture (in French)
History of the park with old pictures and the detailed restauration

Male sculptures in Brussels (2)

Today you will discover another selection of some male sculptures seen in Brussels these days, either outside in parks, botanical garden, streets and places, or inside the Royal Palace.

First, the Botanical Gardens, where 52 sculptures were commissioned when it was created in 1826. Two majors sculptors, Constantin Meunier and Charles van der Stappen, leaded the overall design, with the help of numerous Belgian sculptors, around the theme of vegetals, but also animals, and working people.   Here is the 'Laurier' (Laurel) made by Julien Dillens.

On the square 'Vergote' where several Art Deco houses are present, there is this monument sculpted by Charles Samuel, called the 'Monument au Génie', in memory of the last wars (1914-1918 and 1940-1945).

The "Palais des Académies" which today is the Royal Academy of Sciences, helds several sculptures around his classical building, which at the beginning used to be the house of the Prince of Orange, a few years before the creation of the Belgian nation.

The next door Royal Palace has a beautiful, although anonymous, marble sculpture of a Bacchus in the main entrance hall.

In the Cinquantenaire park, where the Art & History Museum is located, there is the 'Pavillion Horta' built specifically to protect the extremely large and imposing 'bas-relief' sculpture made by Jeff Lambeaux, called 'The Human Passions'.

Another Art Nouveau 'bas-relief' is visible on the Town Hall, offered in 1899 by a group of artists to thank Charles Buls, Brussels mayor (Bourgmestre) during almost 20 years, from 1881 to 1899, who actively supported the arts in Brussels and ensured many historical places were kept and maintained.
Designed by the architect Victor Horta, and the sculptor Victor Rousseau, it represents a nude young man holding an oil lamp, you can see also other interesting details.

Sources
Human Passions
Botanical Gardens