Trois chevaux

From 1945, René Collamarini’s neo-classical style evolved towards a more searchingly avant-garde practice. A controlled, understated approach to form lends abstraction to his sculptures. A physically strong man, the artist presented himself as a “stone cutter”. He mastered the skill of sculpting material with his own hands. His deft use of volumes gives his creations tremendous power. Sculpted in white marble, this unique piece represents a group of three intertwined horses. The quest for movement in composition is a recurring theme that runs throughout Collamarini’s works. These include groups of sculptures such as La Ronde Champêtre or Les Danseuses. Collamarini produced stylised horses or unicorns for the city of Amiens, when it was being rebuilt after the war. The sculpture was acquired by the State of Monaco in 1986.

René Collamarini was a French sculptor. He was born in 1904 in Paris, and died in 1983, in Saint-Mandé in Val-de-Marne. In 1921, he enrolled at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Jean Boucher. But it was on leaving the school that he first began working with direct carving technique. In 1930, he was awarded the Blumenthal Prize, enabling him to create his first major work: François Villon. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Indépendants, was a guest at the Salon des Tuileries, and became a member of the Salon d’Automne. He helped to decorate the Universal Exhibition of 1937 creating the bas-relief La Céramique et le Verre and the statue L'Automne for the façade of the Palais de Chaillot.
Between 1959 and 1974, he taught sculpture and the direct carving technique at the l’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He also experimented with more modern materials, such as aluminium and concrete. Collamarini designed and produced most of his works in his studio “Les Fusains”, at the foot of Montmartre. His close relationship with many architects saw his works adorn public and private buildings in numerous French towns and cities (Amiens, Abbeville, La Courneuve).