“L’Aurore” by Alfred Finot

The white marble sculpture « L’Aurore » by the French sculptor Alfred Finot rests on a veined marble base signed «A. Finot». The anatomical elements of Alfred Finot’s demi-nude of a young woman getting up in the morning, her limbs, upper body, and her gently smiling face, have been rendered in fine detail, leaving the draperies enveloping her body and head undefined.

« L’Aurore » is reminiscent of Barrias’ famous figure « Nature Unveiling Herself to Science ». The style however, is closer to Art Nouveau as the soft curves of form and drapery seem to melt into one another in subtle undulations.

Alfred Finot (1876 – 1947)

Alfred Finot (1876 – 1947) was born in Nancy, France. Between 1889 and 1894, he studied art at the Nancy School of Fine Arts. He was trained in sculpture by Ernest Bussière. In 1895, he entered the studio of the sculptor Louis-Ernest Barrias at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1897. Then , in 1904 he presented « La Jeunesse passe » (The Passing of Youth) at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Nancy.