Léon-Ernest DRIVIER Grenoble, 1878 - Paris, 1951 The archer Patinated plaster Signed 'DRIVIER' on the terrace Height: 74 cm (Old restorations to the arch) The archer, patinated plaster, signed, by L. E. Drivier H: 29.13 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by Octave Legrand, grandfather of the present owner; Then by descent Comment: In 1923, Drivier was one of the founders of the Salon des Indépendants. With his elders Pompon, Bourdelle, Bernard and Despiau (all, like him, Rodin's assistants), and his younger brothers Wlérick, Janniot, Osouf and Dejean, Drivier became one of the leaders of modern French sculpture and received numerous private and public commissions, both decorative and monumental. While Drivier's work from the 1920s-1950s evolved towards a more sober classicism, L'archer remains representative of his early, more expressive and carnal period, marked by the influence of his master Auguste Rodin. Our sculpture is close to the Heracles model invented around 1906 by Antoine Bourdelle, who was also largely influenced by the aestheticism and strong sensory effects directly inherited from the master of La Porte de l'Enfer.