Leda Jules Desbois

In addition to his mythological, allegorical compositions, the French sculptor Jules Desbois became widely known for his exquisite Art Nouveau–style objects of applied art. His career was defined by his artistic dialogue with Auguste Rodin: in 1884, he became the renowned older sculptor’s assistant. Desbois, however, was more than a student: he soon inspired his master, and the two artists enjoyed a mutual influence. Unlike Rodin, Desbois was proficient in many different techniques, working in wood, stone, and metal.
His sculpture Leda is a modern, symbolist interpretation of an ancient myth – Zeus’s union with Leda, whom he seduces in the guise of a swan. The embrace of the human and animal bodies creates a strange yet sensual and harmonic unity: the work is reminiscent of Michelangelo in the boldness of its composition and the passion of its approach. A plaster model of the sculpture was shown at the 1891 exhibition of the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, and owing to its success, a version carved out of marble was exhibited in 1896. Contemporary critics emphasised the pagan eroticism of the sculpture, and the raw, unvarnished depiction of the subject.

Anna Zsófia Kovács