Alfred BOUCHER (Nogent-sur-Seine, 1850 - Aix-les-Bains, 1934) Naked History White marble Signed 'A. BOUCHER' lower left Nude History, white marble, signed, by A. Boucher 41.14 x 18.50 x 10.62 in. 104.5 x 46.4 x 27 cm Provenance: Former collection of Alfred Boucher, Villa des Colonnes, Aix-les-Bains ; Acquired in 1943 by the grandfather of the current owners with the Villa des Colonnes; Then by descent; Private collection from the South of France Bibliography: related : Jacques Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850-1934, L'œuvre sculpté, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, Mare & Martin, 2014, other examples listed pp.245-249 Related works : Alfred Boucher, Monument à Auguste-Laurent Burdeau, 1903, bronze and stone, Lyon, jardin des Plantes, inv. 1686; Alfred Boucher, L'Histoire, after 1900, bronze chef-modèle, signed "A. BOUCHER", H. 55.5 x W. 24.5 x D. 14.5 cm, Paris, Fondation La Ruche-Seydoux; Alfred Boucher, L'Histoire, 1902-1903, high relief in plaster, H. 168 x W. 43 x D. 51 cm, Nogent-sur-Seine, Musée Camille Claudel, inv. 1902.373. A major figure in sculpture at the turn of the 19th century, Alfred Boucher was a close friend of Rodin and Camille Claudel's first master. Rodin's close friend and Camille Claudel's first master, was the creator of numerous monuments for prestigious official commissions. His talent was recognised very early on, and he had a remarkable academic career, embodying the values of an art that had all too soon fallen into oblivion, swept away by "modernity". A tireless worker and generous teacher, he was behind the founding of "La Ruche", the artists' nursery in which the great talents of the early twentieth century flourished. A magnificent technician, he had a perfect knowledge of the human body, which he excelled at depicting in full action. On several occasions, he used the general composition of a woman, nude or draped, standing with her back to a vertical wall. Boucher evolved the formula over time, with the female figure varying markedly, with several differences in attitude, hairstyle or the geometry of the wall. From this emblematic model of his work, Alfred Boucher derived two allegorical figures: The Philosophy of History and History. The sculptor used the latter allegory to pay tribute to the philosophy professor, writer and politician Auguste Burdeau (1851-1894). On this monument dedicated to the Republican finance minister and ardent defender of secular education (Paris, Père Lachaise cemetery, division 65, fig. 1), our young woman inscribes Burdeau's name on the pedestal supporting his bust, symbolising the great man's entry into History. There are several versions of History on record: bronze reductions published by Siot-Decauville, a large plaster version and various marble examples with the vertical wall ending in a hemicycle. Carved in a fine white marble and signed in the lower left-hand corner, our large copy has never been seen before. It was carefully preserved by the sculptor in his famous villa "Les Colonnes" in Aix-les-Bains until the house was acquired by a relative of the work's current owners. We would like to thank Mr Jacques Piette, Alfred Boucher's biographer, for confirming the authenticity of this work, based on photographic documents, in an email dated 9 February 2026. Alfred BOUCHER (Nogent-sur-Seine, 1850 - Aix-les-Bains, 1934) 104.5 x 46.4 x 27 cm