Extraordinary wood carving made by one of the leading artist of the independent sculpture of the twentieth century.
Charles Auffret born in 1929 in Besançon. Its sculptor vocation is rooted in his native country, rich sculptures Gallo-Roman and medieval (churches Autun, Vezelay, Cluny ...).
Sensitive to these stone images, despite the reluctance family, he began his training at the School of Fine Arts in Dijon. He entered immediately into the Pierre Honoré sculpture workshop which transmits a sound knowledge of business: modeling, molding and stone size.
Then in 1951 he moved to Paris. This new location allows it to discover the works of two great sculptors Charles Malfray (1887-1940) and Charles Despiau (1874-1946). He keeps throughout his life to the study.
He earns his living by performing jobs for colleagues, including Constantin Brancusi. From that time, he began to exhibit a regular basis, at the Salon des Independents, the Salon d'Automne and the Salon of Drawing and Watercolor.
In 1963, he entered as a professor at the Academy Malebranche, whose artistic director is the critical Maximilian Gautier. The following year, he received the Award for ''Group of 9'' - the biggest existing sculpture prize - awarded by independent statuary.
The price obtained after twenty years of work and effort, enabling it to achieve its first typefaces.
In 1991 he was appointed professor at the National School of Decorative Arts, rue d'Ulm in Paris, where he taught until his death in 2001.
Charles Auffret constantly practiced drawing as a daily ritual, almost ascetic. Everything was worth being arrested, before flying on his notebook. This is what constitutes the soul of his work, and beyond, its outlook on the world and on things, shapes, body. Each of his sketches can indeed be considered a work in itself.
Beyond fleshly appearances, observation and analysis of the body structure, he tried to detect the soul, to find and palpable make the life of the model, it was a woman, a child, or animal.
This magnificent bust of Ludwig Von Beethoven is a perfect illustration of his study and it perceives the strength and determination of this great German composer and pianist.
That's right, which gives his work, that we speak of sculpture or drawing, that charm and that force individuals, unique even, beyond the formal choices, he does not want to betray the know and craft that had been transmitted to him, while achieving personal and independent work.
''The brain is good. But without the heart, it is little. The hand, her dresses. '' C.Auffret
