Romanian sculptor Demetre Chiparus — who is sometimes referred to as Dumitru Chiparus or Dimitri Chiparus — was a renowned Art Deco-era artist most often associated with realism. He initially created sculptures that featured small children. As his work began to mature, he continued to create figurative sculptures but shifted his focus, and his output was marked by an appreciation for the lithe female form — a popular subject during the 1920s. Chiparus was later known for his animal sculptures, too.
Chiparus lived comfortably as an artist owing in part to his family fortune. At the age of 23, he moved to Italy and began his formal art and sculpting studies under Italian sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. Following his time in Italy, he moved to Paris where he attended L'École des Beaux-Arts. He studied under sculptors Antonin Mercie and Jean Boucher. He was inspired by the Russian Ballet, French theater and early motion pictures.
Though he wouldn’t sell many of his pieces during his lifetime, Chiparus was well known for his bright and colorful busts and sculptures featuring dancing ladies. He was equally inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb — a common influence for designers and artists of the Art Deco era — which is obvious in his references to Egyptian themes in his decorative objects and other realist works.
Chiparus worked with a combination of ivory and bronze to create chryselephantine sculptures, a method and type of sculpture that was particularly popular during the Archaic period. The bases of his pieces were typically made of marble or onyx and he adorned his life-like subjects with vibrant enamel that lent a touch of whimsicality to his art.
Chiparus exhibited his works at the Salon of 1914 and lived in Paris until his death. A range of his sculptures is held in the permanent collection of the Museo Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Spain.
Find original Demetre Chiparus decorative objects, sculptures and other works on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century Gilt Bronze Sculpture “Phoenician Dancer” by Demetre Chiparus
By Demetre Chiparus
Located in London, GB
A superb cold-painted Art Deco bronze figure of a Ballet Russes dancer in full costume, captured in an elegant and dynamic pose. The sculpture displays exceptional enamel-painted dec...
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Cold Painted Bronze Sculpture "Spear Dancer" by Ouillon Carrere
By Fernand Ouillon Carrere 1
Located in London, GB
A striking early 20th Century Art Deco cold-painted silver bronze figure depicting an agile dancer poised delicately on tiptoe between spearheads. Rich in detail and enhanced by fine...
Bronze
Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze entitled "Bella" by Josef Lorenzl
By Josef Lorenzl
Located in London, GB
An attractive early 20th Century Art Deco cold painted bronze figure of a young energetic beauty in a dancing pose, exhibiting excellent colour and very fine hand chased surface deta...
Onyx, Bronze
Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze Sculpture "Greta" by Josef Lorenzl
By Josef Lorenzl
Located in London, GB
An exhilarating early 20th Century Art Deco cold painted gilt bronze figure of a dancer in an energetic pose with excellent colours and very fine surface detail, raised on a tall Bra...
Bronze
Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze "Curtsy" entitled by Josef Lorenzl
By Josef Lorenzl
Located in London, GB
A very fine Art Deco cold painted bronze study of a young beauty in period attire, modelled in a curtsy pose with excellent colour, raised on an onyx base and signed Lorenzl ADDITIO...
Onyx, Bronze
Early 20th Century Art Deco Bronze Study entitled "Whip Girl" by Bruno Zach
By Bruno Zach
Located in London, GB
A fabulous Art Deco bronze figure of a beautiful woman wearing a loose fitted figure hugging dress and high heels holding a riding whip, with excellent colour and very fine hand fini...
Marble, Bronze
Art Deco Bronze Sculpture by Josef Lorenzl, 1920, Elegant Dancer
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Josef Lorenzl (1 September 1892 – 15 August 1950) was an Austrian sculptor and ceramicist of the Art Deco period, the same era as Ferdinand Preiss (1882–1943) and Demetre Chiparus (1886–1947). Lorenzl was born on 1 September 1882 in Vienna, Austria and died there on 15 August 1950. Little is known about his early years, but more is known about his later life. Lorenzl started his career working at a foundry at the Vienna Arsenal where he learned the techniques of bronze casting. The Vienna Arsenal was a military storage...
Bronze
'Spanish Dancer' An Art Deco Bronze Sculpture by Louis Botinelly
By Louis Botinelly
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
'Spanish Dancer' a bronze figure of a spanish dancer in theatrical dress caught in movement. Set over naturalistic base. Signed 'Louis Botinelly' to base. Dimensions: H 36cm W 34cm...
Bronze
Demetre Haralamb Chiparus (1886 - 1947), Art Deco Dancer Bronze Sculpture
By Demetre Chiparus
Located in Germantown, MD
Demetre Haralamb Chiparus (French/Romanian 1886 - 1947), Art Deco Dancers, Bronze Sculpture On Marble Plinth. Demétre H Chiparus Antique Bronze Art Deco Dancer...
Marble, Bronze
French Art Deco Style Bronze of Dancer After Chiparus
By Demetre Chiparus
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 20 1/2in W: 15in D: 6in This French Art Deco Style Bronze of Dancer After Chiparus is truly a work of art! If you look at the photos provided you will see the atten...
Marble, Bronze
Art Deco Tall Bronze Figure "Phoenician Dancer" by Demetre Chiparus
By Demetre Chiparus
Located in Neguri, Vizcaya
Dancer by Demétre Chiparus 1886 - 1947 Large chrysoelephantine sculpture in gilt bronze Marble base. Signed "D. H. Chiparus". Measures: 67 cms. alt. total and 49 cms. diam. base (26,37 x 19,29) Excelent condition. Demétre Haralamb Chiparus was a Romanian Art Deco era sculptor who lived and worked in Paris, France. He was one of the most important sculptors of the Art Deco era. Sculptures of Chiparus represent the classical manifestation of Art Deco style in decorative bronze and ivory sculpture. Traditionally, four factors influenced his creative activity *the Russian Ballets of Serge Diaghilev's, Nijinsky and Rubinstein *ancient Egyptian art, *French theatre, music halls and cabarets *Early motion pictures and fashion magazines with dancers, stars and models Which made him create figures with a long, slender, stylized appearance. like the faces of “Persian Dance” and the dress in “Starfish Girl” exactly reproduces the sketch for Goldfish's dress from the ballet “Underwater kingdom” by Lev Annensky. After the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, the art of ancient Egypt...
Bronze
Art Deco Antonin Mara Bronze Marble Dancer Sculpture
Located in Sarasota, FL
Signed MARA by Antonin Mara. Bronze sculpture atop marble base.
Bronze
