Style Other / Ref.15012

Denys PUECH, Two angels seated on globes, 1897

This pair of sculpted angels was created by Denys Puech. The artist’s signature, engraved on the base of each statue, is accompanied by the mention “Prix 1897”, referring to the First-Class Medal he received at the International Exhibition in Brussels in 1897.

Born into a modest background, Denys Puech (Gavernac, 1854-Rodez, 1942) began his career as an apprentice to a stone carver and sculptor in Rodez. He later studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, training under François Jouffroy, Alexandre Falguière and Henri Chapu. Twice awarded second place for the Grand Prix de Rome, he ultimately won first place in 1884. Puech served as director of the French Academy in Rome from 1921 to 1933 and founded a fine arts museum in Rodez, now named in his honor.

The left-hand angel sits on a terrestrial globe supported by a cloud, with marked meridians and parallels. Bare save for drapery around his waist, he appears comfortably seated, engaged in drawing. He holds a tablet in his left hand, while his right hand curls as though gripping a pencil. His serious face, framed by soft curls, gazes calmly forward, possibly toward his model.

To the right, a similar support holds another terrestrial globe, inscribed with the names of continents, oceans, and some countries. The second winged boy sits with legs spread, seemingly off-balance atop the globe. He clenches his fists and looks downward. Like the first, his face is framed by curls, but a quiver slung over his shoulder suggests he might represent a figure of Love.

The two boys’ wings show notable differences: the first one’s wings are rounded at the top and curve gently down his back, exuding a classic angelic quality. The second, however, has short wings that rise sharply upward with pointed tips. This distinction highlights the artist’s attention to detail and his ability to create subtle variations within a harmonious pair.

These statues may have originally been intended as part of a larger monument. The motif of the terrestrial globe is also present in Puech’s 1898 monument to French explorer Francis Garnier, located at what is now Place Camille-Jullian in Paris. In that piece, the Muse of Geography rests her hand on a globe resembling the one beneath the left-hand angel.

The Musée d’Orsay houses a marble sculpture by Denys Puech, The Siren (1889), which shares several characteristics with this pair of angels. The siren emerges from a frothy sea that recalls the cloud supporting the two winged boys. She is also endowed with large wings, and she carries a young boy on her shoulder, whose delicate features and age closely resemble those of the two angels.