Little girl with skipping rope

myminifactory

In 1920, he enrolled at the École Estienne à Paris to study lithography and hone his skills. Following his father's passing, he was compelled to interrupt his studies and join a Parisian lithography studio. In 1929, he met sculptor Alfred Janniot and secured the prestigious Prix Blumenthal in 1930. Two years later, he won a coveted art professorship in Paris, where he networked with prominent painters like Henri Matisse, who offered him valuable guidance. Additionally, he studied under the tutelage of Aristide Maillol and collaborated with him on projects as early as 1938. Couturier earned laureate status at the Fondation Américaine pour la pensée et l'art français in 1930. In 1937, he crafted sculptures for the pavillon de l'élégance at the Exposition Internationale alongside architect Emile Aillaud. During World War II, Couturier was taken captive by German forces but managed to escape and find refuge in the unoccupied zone. Upon France's liberation, he became a professor at Paris's École des Arts décoratifs and later secured a position at the prestigious École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Throughout his illustrious career, Couturier showcased his work in prominent exhibitions like the London exhibition of Anglo-French art at the Anglo-French Art Centre in 1947, the Venice Biennale in 1950, and the Sao-Paulo Biennale in 1951. His work was also featured in devoted exhibitions at the musée Rodin in 1970 and the Monnaie de Paris in 1975. Couturier's accolades include winning the prix Wildestein in 1966 and serving as a founder-member of the Salon de Mai. His artwork can be found on display in esteemed museums and galleries across the globe, including those in Paris, Bayeux, Poitiers, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Jerusalem, Hakone, Antwerp, and Havana. In celebration of his 100th birthday, Couturier had a retrospective exhibition at the Musée Maillol in Paris in 2005. He lived an extraordinary life, passing away at the remarkable age of 103.