Penelope, full-scale model, 1912 (Pénélope - modèle à grandeur d'exécution)

Exhibited in the centre of the main hall at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1912, Penelope is hopefully awaiting the return of Ulysses. Wrapped in a tunic with fluted folds, holding one arm across her waist and the other supporting her chin, this masterful presence was the focus of much attention. It also provoked fierce controversy, as some members of the public and critics were dismayed by the “curious return to archaism” of a figure carved in the style of a Doric column. Compared to the Salon's academic productions, the plaster of Penelope was fundamentally innovative. For seven years (1905-1912), Bourdelle worked on this masterpiece of ardent expectation that punctuated his personal history:  the face of his first wife Stéphanie Van Parys and the posture of his new muse Cléopâtre Sevastos are both present. Yet Penelope is first and foremost the fruit of a bold re-reading of ancient Greek funerary statuary, notably of the figurines excavated from the tombs of Tanagra  (4th C. BCE). Bourdelle overturned the balance of proportions, taking the art of synthesis and monumentality to extremes. This monumentality is enhanced tenfold by the two blocks that form the base from which this carnal column rises. An integral part of the work itself, this plastic reflection on the pedestal opens up the field to modern sculpture, to the experiments of Constantin Brancusi and Alberto Giacometti.

Jérôme Godeau